3 


an?''        p.  273 


I 


STRAY     YANKEE 


TEX  A  S. 


BY     PHILIP    PAXTON. 


REDFIELD, 

110    A    112    NASSAU    STREET,    NEW    YORK. 
1853. 


ENTERED,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1853, 

By    J.    S.    REDFIELD, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


v  tivtt . 


IT  is  customary  for  an  author,  upon  launching  his  "  frail  bark,"  to 
jump  up  in  the  bow  and  make  quite  a  bow-wow  about  it. 

My  bow  shall  be  hasty  and  my  speech  curt.  A  few  ot  the  suc- 
ceeding chapters  have  already  appeared  in  some  of  the  leading 
periodicals  of  the  day,  but  as  they  were  intimately  connected  w4th, 
.and  indispensably  necessary  to  my  story,  I  was  forced  to  re-write 
and  introduce  them  here.  Should,  therefore,  any  reader  of  the 
"Whig,"  or  the  "Democratic  Review,"  or  the  "Literary  World,"  or 
the  "  Spirit  of  the  Times,"  find  among  these  pages  something  that 
may  remind  him  of  an  old  acquaintance,  let  him  not  accuse  the 
author  of  plagiarism,  or  indeed  of  any  other  literary  crime,  except 
perhaps  that  of  occasionally  picking  his  own  pockets — an  excusa- 
ble offence  in  one  who  has  drunk  of  the  Sabine  waters ;  for  a  sin- 
gular but  veracious  account  of  whose  miraculous  effects,  please 
examine  the  "  Introduction." 

The  author  trusts  that  no  apology  will  be  necessary  for  intro- 
ducing the  two  papers  at  the  close  of  the  volume,  as  they  are 
perfectly  germane  to  the  subject. 


A  STRAY  YANKEE  IN  TEXAS. 


PAGE 


PREFACE, .     vii 

INTRODUCTION, ix 


CHAPTER  I. 
BEAR   AND    SNAKE. 


Bear  Sign — A  Queer  Rig — Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joe — Feminine  Accomplish- 
ments—Bear About— The  Snakes— The  Hatchet  Misses  Fire— The 
Hunting  Party— The  Pack, 


CHAPTER  II. 
MORE  SNAKE  THAN  BEAR, 


Caesar's  Disquisition — The  "  Timber" — A  Fire  in  the  Rear — Repairing 
damages — The  Bear  Treed — Stand  from  Under — Moore  puts  his 
Foot  in  it— Snake  Bitten— Scraps  of  Early  Piety— A  Miracle,  .  27 


CHAPTER  III. 

MORE    BEEF   THAN    VENISON. 

Fire  Hunting — Creasing  a  Horse — Neck  or  Nothing — The  Fire  Pan — 
The  "Wrong  Customer, 37 


CHAPTER  IV. 
SALUTATORY A   WILD-GOOSE    CHASE   AND   A   MARfi's   NEST. 

An  Arrival — Imposing  Ceremony — A  Judge,  but  no  Lawyer — Lefe 
Thompson — Reasons  for  Travelling — Uncle  Billy  Prepares  for  Action 
—The  Enemy's  Camp— The  Sub  Sheriff— More  Plague  than  Profit,  .  48 


ii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  V. 
THE   BIG  THICKET— THE   AUTHOR   IN   A   FIX.  P1GB 

A  Native  Speculator — Nice  Travelling — Scylla  and  Charybdis — Beau- 
ties of  a  Cypress-brake — The  River — Joe,  on  Sunday  Fishing — A 
Round  Turn— The  Labyrinth, 54 

CHAPTER  VI. 
HOW   I   CAUGHT   A    "  CAT,"    AND   WHAT   I   DID    WITH   IT. 

The  River— Plunge  in  the  Dark— A  Self-fishing  Pole— The  Barbecue— 


A  Tough  Customer, 


CHAPTER  VII. 
THE     RIVER     CAMP. 

Solitude — Our  Forest  Home — Tocalization — A  Horse  Chuckle — Pork 
and  Potatoes — A  'Chef-d'GEuvre — Locomotive  Currency — Honest 
Bob, 69 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
STORIES   BY   THE   CAMP   FIRE. 

Laffitte— The  Secret  Betrayed— A  Damp  Climate— The  Old  "Woman — 
The  Bitter  Curse, 81 

CHAPTER  IX. 

A   WEDDING   AND   A   WOLF-HUNT. 

Changing  Quarters — A  Wet  Bridegroom — Muster  of  the  Forces — The 
Chase  is  up — Recruiting — The  Enemy's  Sortie — The  Hide  in  Dan. 
ger, 89 

CHAPTER  X. 

MORE   WATER  THAN   PLEASANT. 

The  River  makes  a  "Raise"— Joe  Overboard— Yell  and  Water— Navi- 
gating a  Brake — Dry  Land  Coasting, 102 

CHAPTER  XL 
NEW   ACQUAINTANCES UNCLE    BILLY   AND   HIS   VERNACULAR. 

Oft;  in  the  First  Boat— Roberta  and  Uncle  Billy— How  Uncle  Billy 
came  there — Two  Grand  Divisions — Old  Rosin-the-Bow — 'Ihe  Don- 
key's Entertainment, 110 


CONTENTS.  ill 

CHAPTER  XIL 

UNCLE  BILLY'S  STOET — HOW  CHARLEY  BIKKIIAM  -WAS  MURDERED.      PAGH 
Shaking   off  the   "Ager"— Joe  White — Joe's  Speech— The   Trail — 
Chalking  out  the  Campaign, 120 

CHAPTER  XIIL 

UNCLE  BILLY'S  STORY  CONCLUDED — THE  FATE  OF  THE  MURDERERS. 
Bill  Stone — The  Trap  Sprung — Cabin  Surprised — Gathering  of  the 
Clan— Fall  of  the  Curtain, 180 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
THE  COLONEL'S  STORY — A  SHIPWRECK — AND  A  SCRIMMAGE. 

Meeting  and  parting — Smoking  out  a  Survey — Ladies  "Panting"  for 
the  Enemy — Mexicans  in  a  Quandary — A  Quarter-race,  but  no  quar- 
ter,   140 

CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  COLONEL'S  STORY  CONCLUDED— SPECIMEN  OF  TALL  FIGHTING. 
Seatsfield— The  Night  Alarm— The  Fog  Lifts— Battle  Won,  and  Lost,     150 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

SOME    OF   THE   PLEASURES   OF   A   NEW   COUNTRY. 

Rather  Damp — Off,  on  their  own  hook — Ants  on  the  March — A  Select 
Library, 159 

CHAPTER   XVII. 
A   CHAPTER    ON    THE    DEER. 

Jack's  Cruise  Ashore— A  Family  on  Low  Diei^-Buck  Fight— A  Cool 
Proceeding, 166 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A   NIGHT   IN    A   SHINGLE   PALACE. 

Proposed  Compromise — Council  of  War — Uncle  Billy  on  Lawyers — 
Benefits  of  "  Lumbering"— Taking  the  "  Shute,"  .  .  .  .177 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

FETER   AND   PHYSIC. 

Romantic  Marriage — Great  Sam  and  the  Little  Major— New  Pilgrim's 
Progress— Double  Entry— In  a  Bad  Way, 188 


iv  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   XX 
TERM-TIME   IN   THE    BACKWOODS,    AND   A   MESTANG   COURT.  PAQ1 

Fine  flow  of  Spirits— The  Lawyers— A  Kangaroo  Judge— Taking  a 
Swear— An  Indictment  and  a  half— The  Bird  of  Freedom  well 
Employed, 200 

CHAPTER  XXI.  , 

DIAMOND    CUT   DIAMOND STOCKING  THE    CARDS. 

A  Very  Nice  Case — Sol  Wilgus — Defining  our  Position — Sol  takes  the 
Hint, 213 

CHAPTER  XXn. 

A    GAME   OF   BRAG UNCLE   BILLY'S   OPINION     ABOUT    "  GOING   OFF   HALF   COCKED." 

The  Game  Opened— "  Bluffed  off"— Great  Shot— A  Little  too  Smart 
— A  Dangerous  Pair  of  Spurs, 222 

CHAPTER  XXIH. 

GALVESTON. 

A  Dull  City — Temporary  Prosperity — The  "  Northers  " — A  Well  Wa- 
tered Town, 232 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
UP   THE   BAT. 

Red-fish  Bar — A  Bone  of  Contention — Home-made  Marriages — A 
Queer  Law-suit, 238 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
SAN    JACINTO    BAY. 

Water-Fowl— Peggy  Attacks  the  Texan  Army— "  Plunder"— The  Mill 
goes  off, 245 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE    BATTLE   OF   SAN   JACINTO. 

Rusk  in  the  Field — Sherman's  Skirmish — Sauve  qui  Pcut — The  Blow 
for  Freedom— Cos  and  S-  **  Anna, 263 


CONTENTS.  V 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 
ANOTHER   STRAY   YANKEE   IN   TEXAS.  PAGB 

Dolce  far  Niente — Exploring  Expedition — Brandy — Brandy  makes  a 
Deposit— "Hot  and  Hot"— Playing  Possum— Improved  Mode  of 
Hunting, •  264 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

GENERAL   HEIGHT'S   TOM A   DARK   STOEY. 

Pat  de  Cow-pen — Tom  and  Milly — Mysterious  Disappearance — The 
Body  Found— Signs  of  Foul  Play, 2Y9 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

GENERAL    BRIGHr's   TOM    CONCLUDED. 

Suspicion— The  Death  Shot— A  Rude  Burial— Running  Jack— Voice 
from  the  Grave— The  Murderer's  Fate, 290 

CHAPTER  XXX. 


An  Ambush — The  "  Coup  de  Grace"—  Important  Developments — The 
Pursuit— A  Sudden  Pull  Up, 302 


LYNCH   LAW. 

CHAPTER  L 

THE  PIONEER:  REGULATORS  AND  MODERATORS. 

The  Four  Classes — The  Pioneer— Law  a  Dead  Letter — Regulating  a 
County— The  Widows  of  Widow's  Creek,        .        .        .        .  315 

CHAPTER  II. 

GAMBLERS    AND    DESPERADOES. 

Judge  S The  "  Court"  Indicted— Polite  Invitation— A  Slippery 

Customer — Unsatisfactory   Physiognomy — Murders   of  Taylor  and 
Floyd— Lem  M'Guire— "  Coup  de  Theatre" 327 


Vi  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  III. 
THE   NON  RESISTANT   AND    THE   RIVER    DESPERADO.  PAGE 

The  Lecturer  Skunked— Schools  for  Scandal— Travelling  Gamblers- 
Phalanx  of  Crime, 347 

CHAPTER  IV. 

THE   LAND    PIRATE. 

Enlisting— The  Grand  Council— A  Robber  Police — A  Powerful  Clan 
—Taken  in  the  Act— The  Letter— Stewart,  .  .  .  .354 

CHAPTER  V. 

THE   WOLF    TRAPPED. 

The  Revelation — A  Nam  de  Guerre — The  Rendezvous — Grand  Council 
—At  Home— Flight  and  Recapture 364 

CHAPTER  VI. 

JUDGE  LTNCH'S  INTERFERENCE. 

The  Discovery— Emigration  of  the  Clan— A  Pretty  Quarrel— A  Back- 
woods Alsatia — The  Threat  Borne  Out — Death  of  Stewart  and 
Murrel, ....  374 

CHAPTER  VII. 
DEFEAT   OF   THE   GAMBLERS. 

Dargin  "Leads  the  Column"— The  JSatchez  Affair— A  Bad  Bargain- 
Sudden  Vengeance, 886 


STEAM   ON   THE    WESTERN   WATERS. 

The  Levee — Eastern  and  Western  Boats — The  Firemen's  Refrain — 
The  First  Mississippi  Steamer — Perilous  Voyage — The  F,;irtliquake 
— Snags  and  Sawyers — The  Old  Boatmen — Dick  Russel — Taking  a 
House  in  Tow— A  Great  Joke — Accidents— The  "  Grave  Yard  " — 
The  Fat  Boy  of  the  Brian  Boroihme 401 


DURING  many  years  Texas  was  a  jest  for  all  nations,  except 
perhaps  Mexico,  to  whom  indeed  she  proved  a  somewhat 
unpalatable  reality.  It  was  once  the  fashion  at  the  north, 
to  name  Texas  as  the  inevitable  terminus  of  every  moon- 
light flitting,  whether  occasioned  by  that  innate  modesty 
which  impels  a  reserved  man  to  save  his  creditors  from 
interviews,  unpleasant  and  unprofitable  upon  both  sides  ;  by 
a  too  warm  admiration  of  a  neighbor's  wife ;  the  desire 
to  sever  one's  own  matrimonial  fetters,  by  u  cutting"  one's 
self;  or,  in  fine,  any  of  the  thousand  and  one  reasons 
which  so  suddenly  at  times  impart  to  men  a  fondness  for 
travel,  or  desire  for  the  society  of  strangers,  and  render 
an  immediate  change  of  climate  equally  necessary  and 
agreeable.  In  fact,  in  the  years  '38  and  '39,  when  the 
commercial  horizon  was  dark  and  lowering,  and  the  sun  of 
prosperity  almost  obscured  by  the  dust  from  the  over- 
thrown Bank,  and  the  smoke  of  the  great  fire,  it  became 
very  unsafe  indeed,  for  the  tradesman  to  doze  too  long  of 
a  morning,  for  if  he  did,  it  was  at  least  an  equal  chance 
that  upon  at  last  arriving  at  his  shop  or  store,  the  three 
otuinous  letters  G.  T.  T.,  done  in  white  chalk  by  mis- 
chievous urchin  or  suspicious  creditor  would  stare  him  full 
in  the  face  from  the  closed  shutters  of  his  window,  or  the 
panel  of  the  door  that  had  been  too  long  upon  the  lock. 


X  INTRODUCTION. 

The  Texans  themselves  indulged  in  a  sly  chuckle  over 
their  somewhat  dubious  reputation,  and  it  was  quite  a 
common  joke  to  ask  a  man  what  his  name  was  at  home, 
and  what  he  came  to  Texas  for.  The  waters  of  the  Sabine 
river — which  stream  separates  south-eastern  Texas  from 
Louisiana — were  said  to  produce  peculiar  effects  upon  all 
•who  drank,  bathed  in,  or  even  crossed  their  yellow  cur- 
rent. They  were  supposed  to  be  a  perfect  Lethe  to  all 
remaining  consciousness  of  the  correct  distinction  between 
meum  and  tuum  which  the  immigrant  might  yet  retain, 
and  it  is  recorded  that  one  individual  was  so  severely 
affected  by  the  combined  consequences  of  a  draught  and 
&  bath,  that  finding  nothing  else  to  appropriate,  he 
*  adopted"  his  own  under  garment,  which  he  had  previ- 
ously washed  and  hung  out  to  dry,  and  concealed  it  so 
carefully  from  himself,  that  when  its  services  were  needed, 
they  were  not  to  be  had  upon  any  terms. 

Such,  at  least,  was  the  tale  he  told,  to  account  for  a  very 
apparent  scarcity  of  linen,  and  there  was  thought  to  be 
some  truth  in  his  story,  as  it  was  very  evident  that  he  had 
been  drinking  something  ;  although  the  Sabine  water  must 
have  been  of  universal  potency,  to  judge  from  the  aroma 
that  hung  around  him.  An  incredulous  wight  suggested, 
that  as  there  was  a  small  grocery  upon  the  bank,  perhaps 
the  man  being  very  dry,  had  drunk  up  his  shirt. 

Did  Texas  deserve  the  contumely  thus  unsparingly 
heaped  upon  her  ?  Quite  the  reverse.  The  population  of 
this  entire  territory,  consisting  of  whites,  negroes,  and 
Indians,  did  not  exceed  forty  thousand  at  the  time  of  the 
invasion  by  Santa  Anna.  There  were  a  number  of  despe- 
radoes, of  the  most  dangerous  and  abandoned  kind,  to  be 
found  upon  and  near  the  Sabine  and  the  Red  rivers  ;  some 


INTRODUCTION.  xi 

living  upon  the  United  States  and  some  upon  the  Texas 
side,  accordingly  as  the  danger  of  apprehension  from  either 
government  appeared  more  imminent  at  the  time.  Leav- 
ing the  narrow  strip  of  rascality  upon  the  eastern  border 
— and,  by  the  way,  there  is,  and  has  been  no  country, 
civilized  or  uncivilized,  without  a  similar  one — you  found 
the  young  republic  dotted  here  and  there  with  small  knots 
of  stock-raisers,  principally  from  Louisiana  ;  a  few  down- 
easters,  seduced  from  their  hard  and  stony  farms,  by  the 
milk  and  honey  tales  of  some  empressario's  agent ;  an  occa- 
sional doctor  looking  for  a  large  crop  of  disease  and  death  ; 
or,  perhaps,  one  that  had  fewer  reapers  in  the  field ;  a 
lawyer  or  two,  to  make  the  wills  as  the  doctors  finished  up 
the  patients,  to  seek  for  offices  and  speculate  in  wild  lands  ; 
a  large  number  of  the  true  pioneers  who  shot,  fished,  and 
trapped  for  a  living,  treading  closely  in  the  footprints  of 
the  retiring  Indians  ;  and  certain  disappointed  men,  or 
those  who  having  lost  caste  at  home  went  abroad  to  regain 
name,  and  fame,  and  fortune. 

A  more  honest,  careless,  and  hospitable  community  than 
that  of  interior  Texas  it  would  be  impossible  to  conceive 
of,  or  to  meet  with  anywhere  this  side  of  Utopia.  Crime 
of  any  kind  was  not  tolerated.  Every  stranger  was  wel- 
comed, aided,  and  respected,  if  he  did  but  conduct  himself 
with  propriety.  After  1836  the  population  was  much 
reduced.  Fear,  famine,  and  Mexican  slaughter  had  taken 
away  many  of  the  settlers,  driven  others  from  the  land, 
and  completely  checked  immigration. 

During  the  general  panic  of  '38,  many  cotton  planters 
came  to  the  country  and  brought  their  "  force"  of  negroes 
with  them.  Some  of  these  left  their  home  in  a  hurry,  and 
it  must  be  confessed  that  they  had  pretty  fair  reasons  for 


INTRODUCTION. 


so  doing.  The  banks  had  been  flooding  the  country  with 
their  currency,  which  was  lent  in  large  sums  to  the  few 
who  possessed  the  right  kind  of  influence.  Cotton  and 
sugar  had  commanded  large  prices,  and  the  planter  bor- 
rowed money  to  purchase  new  plantations  and  increase 
their  "  force."  Suddenly  the  banks  went  down  in  one  uni- 
versal crash  ;  the  planters  were  left  with  great  quantities 
of  the  useless  "  promises  to  pay,"  which  they  had  borrowed 
upon  their  own  notes  or  on  bond  and  mortgage  ;  and  these 
amounts  were  to  be  paid,  although  the  borrowed  bills  were 
valueless.  Ruin  threatened  upon  every  side  ;  ruin  appa- 
rently caused  by  the  rascality  of  the  very  men  who  now 
were  to  profit  by  it,  by  becoming  the  owners  of  negroes  and 
lands  at  the  tithe  of  their  value.  Those  who  were  not 
involved  in  debt  for  more  than  one  fourth  of  what  their 
estates  were  intrinsically  worth,  saw  them  absolutely 
thrown  away  at  a  sheriff's  sale  for  perhaps  half  enough  to 
satisfy  the  execution. 

There  were  men  who  deemed  that  they  had  a  right  to 
rescue  themselves  and  their  families  from  utter  ruin  ;  so 
shouldering  their  rifles,  and  arming  the  more  trustworthy 
of  their  negroes,  they  departed  secretly  for  Texas ;  and 
there  is  one  county  nearly  settled  by  them.  With  this 
hegira  commenced  the  culture  of  cotton  in  the  interior,  for 
it  had  hitherto  been  confined  to  the  eastern  portion.  As 
the  population  increased,  and  money  became  more  plen- 
tiful, there  came,  of  course,  a  proportionate  increase  of 
crime. 

In  '42,  preparations  were  made  for  settling  Fisher  & 
Miller's  grant  with  German  emigrants ;  and  for  a  year 
previous  to  the  annexation  of  the  star  republic  with  the 
United  States,  they  came  over  in  great  numbers.  These 


INTRODUCTION.  xiii 

men  were  miserable  settlers.  They  seemed  to  have  left 
home  with  the  idea  that  in  future  they  were  to  live  without 
work,  and  had  doubtless  been  amused  with  very  Munchau- 
senish  talcs  of  the  facility  with  which  game  could  be 
obtained,  for  every  one  of  them  could  be  seen  staggering 
up  the  muddy  streets  at  Houston  with  an  interminable 
equipage  of  pouches  and  game  bags  hung  around  their 
necks,  and  a  pair,  at  least,  of  heavy  German  "yagers" 
upon  their  shoulders. 

When  they  reached  the  colony,  they  would  not  work 
during  the  first  year,  but  lived  upon  the  provisions  pur- 
chased by  the  company,  and  amused  themselves  principally 
in  trotting  about  the  prairies,  shooting  at  small  birds  and 
getting  themselves  shot  by  the  Indians. 

"  What  new  tribe,"  said  Santa  Anna — the  Commanche, 
and  not  the  Mexican  chief — to  Jack  Hays  ;  "  what  new 
tribe  have  come  among  us  ?  They  ride  along  slowly  with 
their  eyes  bent  upon  the  ground,  smoking  great  pipes, 
knowing  nothing  of  what  is  around  them,  and  they  never 
wake  up  until  we  have  sent  an  arrow  right  through 
them?" 

Such  men  were  of  little  use  in  a  new  country.  Stupid 
by  nature,  they  became  more  stupid  still  by  free  indul- 
gence in  coarse  gluttony  and  sottishness,  and  generally 
finished  themselves  off  in  three  or  four  years. 

Times  and  people  have  changed,  but  still  there  remains 
enough  of  the  old  leaven,  of  the  simple-hearted  stock  rais- 
ers and  small  farmers,  to  keep  the  average  morality  of 
Texas  up  to  the  standard  of  that  of  any  other  State,  not 
excepting  even  the  boasted  land  of  steady  habits. 

The  towns  in  Texas,  at  the  time  of  the  revolution,  were 
few  and  of  small  importance  ;  such  as  San-Antonio-de- 


XIV  INTRODUCTION. 

Bcxar,  with  a  population  thoroughly  Mexican,  Nacogdo- 
ches  and  San  Augustin  in  the  eastern  part,  several  small 
villages  such  as  Victoria,  Liberty,  Harrisburg,  Jasper,  and 
a  few  military  posts  as  Anahuac,  <fcc. 

The  population  of  these  earlier  settlements  was  such  as 
might  be  expected  ;  but  the  arm  of  the  law,  even  under 
the  somewhat  lax  administration  of  the  "  Alcaldes,"  was 
still  felt.  When  "  Houston"  was  founded  it  became  for  a 
time  the  resort  of  all  the  gamblers  in  the  country,  until  its 
citizens  decided,  by  a  large  majority,  to  turn  Congress 
adrift,  and  make  them  seek  some  other  place  upon  which 
to  inflict  their  concomitant  nuisances.  The  worst  curse 
that  ever  fell  upon  the  country  came  in  the  form  of  the 
disbanded  "  Murrel  gang,"  who,  when  their  plans  had  been 
revealed,  and  many  of  their  names  made  known  by  the 
courage  of  Stewart,  fled  to  Texas,  thinking  there  to  find  a 
fair  field  for  future  operations,  but  they  were  very  gene- 
rally checked.  They  settled  in  numbers  in  a  few  conve- 
nient places,  and  established  a  perfect  cordon  of  posts 
from  Belew's  ferry  and  other  points  of  the  eastern  frontier, 
through  the  entire  settled  portion  of  the  Republic.  They 
were,  however,  driven  in  from  the  eastern  line  and  forced 
to  scatter  in  every  direction. 

In  presenting  the  following  pages  to  the  public,  the  only 
object  the  author  has  in  view  is  to  give  a  correct  idea  of 
scenes  and  scenery,  men  and  manners,  as  they  exist  in  a 
section  of  our  country  of  which  much  has  been  written, 
but  little  is  really  known. 

Men  steam  it  down  the  Mississippi,  probably  killing  the 
time  with  whist  and  euker  ;  spend  a  week  in  Xew  Orleans, 
lounging  about  the  bar-room  of  a  crack  hotel,  and  in 
extreme  cases  some  will  venture  as  far  as  Houston  ;  then 


INTRODUCTION.  XV 

leave  again  with  all  possible  expedition  and  with  the  aid  of 
a  "  Mississippi  and  Ohio  Pilot"  (books),  half  a  dozen  Gazet- 
teers, and,  perhaps,  "  Houston  and  his  Republic,"  or  Seats- 
field's  "  Cabin  Book,"  and  a  precious  production  by  one 
Dey — who  asserts  that  Irish  potatoes  turn  to  sweet  ones 
in  a  few  years,  and  a  thousand  other  ridiculous  absurdi- 
ties, for  the  people  found  him  out,  and  quizzed  him  to 
their  hearts'  content — and  having  all  this  vast  mass  of 
information  on  hand,  consider  themselves  perfectly  pre- 
pared to  write  sketches  and  volumes,  converse  and  make 
speeches  upon  subjects  with  which  they  are  about  as  well 
acquainted  as  they  are  with  the  interior  of  Africa,  or  the 
mountains  in  the  moon. 

If  the  following  chapters  can  lay  claim  to  no  other  merit 
than  truth  and  fidelity  of  description,  the  author  is  deter- 
mined that  these  at  least  they  shall  deserve,  and  he  has  no 
intention  of  making  up  a  book  by  drawing  upon  his  own 
imagination,  or  quoting  from  the  works  of  others,  whose 
writings,  were  the  truth  known,  are  too  often  entirely  void 
of  any  pretension  to  authenticity  or  correctness. 

Nothing  but  a  familiar  acquaintance  with  the  country 
and  its  inhabitants,  that  can  only  be  obtained  by  a  resi- 
dence of  years,  not  in  the  cities  alone,  but  among  the 
genuine  pioneers  of  the  forest — the  backwoodsmen  as  they 
are  termed — will  entitle  any  man  to  lay  a  just  claim  to  a 
proper  knowledge  of  either. 

If  these  pages  often  treat  subjects  in  an  amusing  rather 
than  a  serious  manner,  it  is  out  of  the  author's  power  to 
help'it,  being  by  nature  a  disciple  of  Democritus,  and  dia- 
metrically opposed  to  the  school  of  his  rival.  The  records 
of  the  rights,  adventures,  and  experience  of  ten  years  could 
scarcely  be  comprised  entire  in  one  small  volume  ;  and  so 


XVI  INTRODUCTION. 

the  writer  has  described  what  he  thought  best  worth 
describing,  and  described  it  too  as  best  pleased  himself. 
If  some  of  the  characters  appear  to  have  been,  cast  in  a 
rough  mould,  so  were  their  prototypes  ;  if  their  language 
occasionally  varies  from  the  strict  rules  of  Lindley  Mur- 
ray, so  did  that  of  their  originals  ;  and  if  their  humor  be 
of  the  rudest,  such  as  it  truly  is  and  was,  has  been  given. 
Names,  both  of  persons  and  places,  have  been  sometimes 
changed  in  order  to  avoid  personality  ;  but  the  incidents 
detailed  are  facts,  and  the  descriptions  are  as  faithful  as  it 
has  been  in  the  author's  power  to  make  them. 


STftAY  YANKEE    IN    TEXAS 


CHAPTER  I. 

BEAR     AND     SNAKE. 

IT  was  in  the  first  youth  of  one  of  the  last  born  sisters  of 
our  Union,  who,  after  a  mes-alliance  with  a  Mexican,  that 
greatly  annoyed  and  distressed  her  friends,  terminated- 
the  affair  by  scratching  his  eyes  out ;  taking  forcible  pos- 
session of  all  the  property,  both  personal  and  real,  upon 
which  she  could  lay  her  hands  ;  kicking  her  would-be  lord 
and  master  unceremoniously  and  incontinently  out  of 
doors  ;  and  then,  like  a  good  child,  coming  home  again, 
and  getting  her  friends  to  fight  out  her  battles  for  her  ; 
as  I  before  said,  it  was  in  the  younger  days  of  one  of  our 
youngest  states  that  the  adventure,  or  rather  series  of 
adventures,  occurred  which  I  am  about  to  relate. 

In  consequence  of  a  certain  roving  disposition,  desirous 
— as  Cicero  hath  it — of  novelties,  I  found  myself  located 
and  domiciled  in  the  bosom  of  the  family  of  one  Joe  Hough, 
a  regular  backwoodsman,  a  capital  hunter,  and  a  decided 
character,  with  nothing  in  particular  to  do  except  to 
amuse  myself  as  best  I  might. 


18  BEAR   AND   SNAKE. 

Having  thus  premised,  let  us  plunge  at  once  in  medias 

res. 

****** 

"  DOG  on  my  cat !  ef  thar  hain't  been  bar  about,  ye  can 
take  my  hat  1" 

"  How  do  you  know,  Joe  ?" 

"  Know !  Just  you  sight  that  muscadine  vine,  whar  one 
of  the  varmint's  been  a  lappin',  and  look  at  the  sign  on 
that  tree,  and  on  the  ground." 

I  looked,  and,  as  Joe  said,  there  was  sign  enough.  The 
bark  of  the  tree  that  supported  the  grape  vine  was  marked 
with  the  bear's  claws  ;  and,  as  for  the  vine  itself,  it  had 
been  subjected  to  the  very  ingenious  operation  that  bears 
are  wont  to  perform  when  they  wish  a  dessert  of  the  fruit, 
and  which  is  effected  by  climbing  well  up  the  tree,  then 
crawling  out  upon  a  limb,  and  slipping  off,  legs  extended, 
spread-eagle  fashion,  bringing  vine,  grapes,  and  all  with 
him  in  ihefacilis  descensus. 

Bruin's  plan  to  strip  the  grapes  from  the  vine  is  simple, 
but  effective.  He  twists  his  tongue — as  long,  as  rough, 
and  as  potent  as  that  of  a  maiden-shrew — around  a  por- 
tion of  the  vine,  and  drawing  it  down,  grapes,  leaves, 
bugs,  and  worms,  at  one  fell  swoop,  enter  his  capacious 
maw. 

But  stop  one  moment.  Let  us  give  the  reader  an 
inkling  of  who  we  were,  and  what  we  were  about. 

Joe  Hough  and  the  reader's  humble  servant  made  up 
the  party  ;  and  a  party  that  would  have  attracted  rather 
more  attention  had  they  appeared  in  Broadway,  accoutred 
as  they  were,  than,  perhaps,  might  have  been  agreeable  to 
them.  Joe  was  in  full  Texas  rig  :  a  bronzed  face,  that 
would  not  have  disgraced  Captain  Cook  when  his  first 


MR.    AND   MRS.   JOE.  19 

voyage  round  the  world  was  ended,  beamed  forth  from 
beneath  the  overshadowing  of  a  home-made  palmetto  hat, 
whose  style  and  general  appearance  gave  proof  that  Genin 
had  not  been  about  in  that  region  lately ;  a  pair  of  cot 
tonade  pants, — that  owed  their  existence  entirely  to  Joe's 
industrious  wife,  who  had  spun  the  cotton,  woven  the  yarn 
in  fine,  done  everything  that  had  been  done  to  call  them 
into  being,  with  the  sole  exception  of  making  the  buttons, 
and  they  evidently  came  from  the  four  quarters  of  the 
globe — fastened  round  the  waist  with  a  rusty  leather 
belt,  and  terminating  somewhere  near,  but  not  quite  effect- 
ing a  junction  with,  a  couple  of  particularly  greasy  mocca- 
sins. These,  with  a  very  coarse  article,  which  Mrs.  Trol- 
lope  insists  upon  it  is  known  among  our  ladies  as  "  a 
pillow  case,"  completed  the  outer  man.  The  other  party's 
dress  bore  a  striking  resemblance  to  that  of  the  former, 
except  that  it  had,  perhaps,  a  shade  more  of  pretension, 
and  that  a  red  sash,  in  lieu  of  the  leather  belt,  girded  the 
waist. 

Speaking  of  Joe's  wife,  reminds  me  very  naturally  of 
the  female  herself;  and  as  the  lady  had  some  peculiar 
accomplishments  of  her  own,  I  may  as  well,  en  passant,  say 
a  word  or  two  of  them.  A  sallow  face,  with  no  very 
striking  features,  save  a  pair  of  small  but  brilliant  black 
eyes,  and  lips  as  expressive  of  firmness  as  those  of  the 
elder  Brutus  ;  a  head  of  sunburnt  hair,  whose  original  hue 
it  would  have  been  extremely  difficult  to  discover,  so 
weather-beaten  and  discolored  had  the  capillary  covering 
become ;  a  neck  neither  long  nor  short,  adorned  by  a 
string  of  golden  beads  ;  a  very  plain  dress, — coat,  as  she 
termed  it, — innocent  of  any  attempt  at  ornament,  made, 
Heaven  knows  in  what  fashion,  and  only  remarkable  for 


20  BEAR   AND    SNAKE. 

economy  in  material,  both  in  quantity  and  quality — the 
groundwork  of  the  structure  being  of  her  own  manufac- 
ture ;  a  pair  of  hands,  evidently  ignorant  of  idleness  ;  the 
same  number  of  feet,  tanned  by  exposure,  and,  except  upon 
occasions  of  unusual  moment,  guiltless  of  any  covering, 
save  that  which  nature  had  given,  and  sun  and  soil 
impressed  ;  were  the  external  characteristics  of  the  woman. 

Her  gift  of  speech  was  limited  ;  her  words  blunt,  but  to 
the  point ;  her  only  mission  evidently  being  to  milk  the 
kine,  and  to  prepare  the  meals  and  the  clothing  of  her 
husband  and  children.  Whether  she  exhibited  any  signs 
of  woman's  nature  when  in  company  with  her  own  sex,  I 
know  not ;  but,  in  her  own  home,  I  never  knew  her  to 
smile,  to  attempt  a  jest,  to  tell  a  tale,  or  even  ask  a  ques- 
tion, unless  it  were  a  matter  of  absolute  and  imperative 
necessity  ;  yet  she  went  through  her  daily  round  of  duties 
cheerfully,  and  bore  the  life  of  hardship,  danger,  and 
exposure,  which  all  pioneers  must  bear,  without  a  mur- 
mur. She  had  never  known  any  other.  In  accomplish- 
ments, she  could  ride  a  horse  admirably,  shoot  a  rifle  even 
more  truly  than  Joe,  smoke  a  pipe,  masticate  the  weed, 
and,  at  a  pinch,  manage  a  little  snuff  if  it  were  offered 
her. 

One  day  Joe  and  I,  on  returning  from  one  of  our  expe- 
ditions, found  her  sitting  on  the  door-sill  very  quietly 
smoking  her  pipe. 

"  All  right  ?"  asked  Joe,  as  we  approached  the  door. 

The  lady  drew  the  pipe  from  her  mouth,  and  pointed  to 
something  dimly  visible  in  the  interior  of  the  cabin,  which, 
upon  examination,  proved  to  be  the  skin  of  a  huge  pan- 
ther, shot  and  skinned  by  her  own  ready  hands.  Upon 
inquiry,  she  informed  us,  with  more  than  Spartan  bre- 


BEAU   ABOUT.  21 

vity,  that  "  the  boys  see  the  varmint  nigh  the  house.  She 
called  the  dogs  and  tuk  the  gun  ;  he  tuk  a  tree,  and  she 
fetched  him." 

This  was  her  second  exploit  in  panther-killing  during 
the  four  years  of  their  present  residence. 

Now  for  a  countermarch.  Joe  and  I,  at  the  time  of  the 
commencement  of  my  tale,  were  upon  the  banks  of  a  bayou, 
in  a  very  dense  thicket,  and  intent  upon  discovering  a 
cypress  brake  or  grove  of  white  oak,  near  enough  the  river 
to  admit  of  certain  staves,  shingles,  etc.,  yet  to  be  made, 
to  be  drawn  to  and  rafted  down  it ;  and  in  the  pursuance 
of  our  quest  we  have  fallen  upon  the  hereinbefore-men- 
tioned "bear-sign." 

There  could  be  no  more  timber-hunting  that  day  ;  fresh 
bear-sign,  and  that  so  near  home,  proved  too  much  for 
Joe's  newly-born  spirit  of  industry,  and  fat  bear  meat  got 
the  better  of  staves  and  shingles  without  much  of  a  strug- 
gle. 

"  Joe,"  said  I,  "  consider,  man  :  here  we  are,  not  a  mile 
from  home,  and  to  turn  back  because  you  think  that  a 
bear  has  been  about  here  lately!  Why,  man,  bear  are 
almost  as  plenty  as  '  'possums'  in  this  confounded  thicket." 

"  Bar  been  about !"  replied  Joe,  "  you  may  swar  to  that ; 
and  he's  about  yet,  lappin'  somewhar  less  nor  sixty  rod 
off,  an'  as  for  it's  bein'  nigh  the  settlement,  and  most  on 
the  edge  of  the  prairie,  that's  what  I'm  goin'  back  for. 
The  varmint  knows  the  way  out,  and  I'll  just  bet  a  hogs- 
head of  niggers  he  was  one  of  the  chaps  that  smashed  up 
my  corn  crap.  I'm  bound  to  have  him." 

Now,  as  Joe  was  obstinate  as  a  mule,  and  exceedingly 
energetic,  industrious,  and  persevering  when  anything 
except  pure  work  was  to  be  done,  I  made  a  merit  of  neces- 


22  BEAR   AND    SXAKE. 

fiity,  resigning  myself  to  the  chances  and  mischances  of  a 
bear-hunt,  with  as  good  a  grace  as  might  be  expected 
under  the  circumstances. 

The  trail  by  which  we  had  entered  the  forest  was  very 
tortuous,  but  Joe  insisted  that  he  knew  where  he  was 
exactly,  and  could  take  a  straight  route  home.  So,  draw- 
ing his  hack-knife  from  its  sheath,  he  plunged  into  a  dense 
cane-brake  that  adorned  the  bayou's  bank,  and  commenced 
cutting  and  carving  a  path  in  true  backwoods  style.  I  fol- 
lowed after  him  in  Indian  file,  aiding  and  abetting  his 
rude  attempts  at  road-making  whenever  a  mass  of  bull- 
brier  or  bamboo-vines,  crossing  and  recrossing  the  cane, 
forming  a  natural  fence  impossible  for  animals  and  but 
barely  practicable  to  man,  called  for  action  on  the  part  of 
self  and  hatchet. 

Fifteen  minutes'  hard  work  brought  us  to  the  edge  of  the 
open  forest,  and  we  were  pushing  on  at  a  great  pace,  when 
Joe  suddenly  came  to  a  halt,  motioning  me  with  his  hand 
to  imitate  his  example. 

Joe's  keen  eye  certainly  had  seen  something,  and,  after 
peering  at  it  a  moment  or  so,  he  beckoned  me  to  his  side. 

Following  the  direction  of  his  finger,  I  soon  beheld,  at  the 
foot  of  a  gigantic  oak,  a  pair  of  those  most  hideous  of  all 
abominable  reptiles — moccasin  snakes. 

These  were  of  unusual  size,  and  appeared  quite  wide 
awake,  which,  for  one  of  the  species,  is  very  uncommon. 
They  usually  seem  to  be  stupified  by  their  own  venom, 
and  never  interfere  with  travellers'  rights  unless  a  person 
should  approach  sufficiently  near  for  them  to  give  him  a 
snap,  and  then,  coward-like,  slink  away  into  the  under- 
brush. 

Our  snakes,  however,  were  of  different  metal ;   and, 


THE   HATCHET    MISSES   FIRE.  23 

judging  from  their  great  size  and  unusual  alacrity,  pro- 
bably the  war  chiefs  of  the  tribe.  With  their  heads  and 
part  of  their  bodies  erect,  their  demoniac  eyes  glaring 
fury,  and  their  bifurcated  tongues  darting  in  and  out,  they 
evidently  meditated  an  attack. 

Stepping  past  Joe,  I  raised  my  hatchet,  took  deliberate 
aim,  and  blazed  away.  My  shot  was  perfectly  innocuous, 
for,  ducking  their  heads,  the  hatchet  passed  over  them, 
and  then,  as  if  animated  by  a  common  impulse,  they 
dashed  at  us.  I  beat  an  immediate  retreat,  being  deprived 
of  my  only  weapon,  offensive  or  defensive  ;  and  moreover 
having  always  had  implicit  faith  in  the  old  proverb  touch- 
ing "  fighting  and  running  away,"  in  the  hope  of  "  living 
to  fight  another  day." 

Joe  stood  his  ground  like  a  man,  and  as  the  first  snake 
approached,  struck  at  the  head  with  his  knife.  I  saw  the 
motion,  and  immediately  after  heard  him  give  one  of  those 
singular  whistles  or  blows,  like  the  sudden  puff  of  a  loco- 
motive, which  seem  to  belong  to  the  African  vernacular, 
and  to  imply  astonishment,  wonder,  and  perhaps  alarm. 
Joe  immediately  put  his  thumb  in  his  mouth  and  jumped, 
evidently  thinking  himself  snake-bitten.  Having  found  a 
club  ready  for  my  purpose,  and  dispatched  our  enemies  in 
a  hurry,  I  turned  to  condole  and  assist  poor  Joe  ;  but  as  I 
turned,  beheld  quite  a  stream  of  a  very  valorous  and  pug- 
nacious variety  of  the  hornet  issuing  from  the  ground 
where  Joe  had  made  his  late  stand  against  the  snakes. 
Having  no  desire  to  complete  the  achievements  of  the 
morning  by  a  Quixotic  attack  upon  the  hornets,  I  made 
off  for  Joe,  leaving  them  in  full,  if  not  quiet,  possession  of 
thefie"ld.  . 

Joe  stood  sucking  his  thumb,  occasionally  stamping  with 


24  BEAR   AND   SNAKE. 

pain  and  anger,  like  a  boy  in  the  sullens,  and  it  was  some 
time  before  I  could  persuade  him  that  he  was  the  victim 
to  no  greater  calamity  than  a  hornet  sting  ;  but  when 
convinced  of  it,  he  gave  vent  to  a  profusion  of  strange 
backwoods  oaths,  which  involved  in  one  common  anathema 
all  sorts  of  reptiles  and  insects — musquitoes,  fleas,  and  horn- 
toads,  being  included  in  the  general  ruin. 

It  seemed  that  while  sucking  and  examining  his  thumb, 
he,  for  once  in  life,  had  his  latter  end  brought  clearly  in 
view ;  and  this  circumstance,  acting  as  a  curb  to  his 
anger,  bottled  up  a  vast  amount  of  impiety,  which  escaped 
like  the  notes  from  Munchausen's  horn,  when  the  said 
wholesome  fear  was  removed. 

After  my  irate  friend  had  somewhat  cooled  down,  he 
turned  his  attention  to  the  results  which  would  indubitably 
follow  our  morning's  adventure.  "  It  was  bad  luck,  sure" 
he  said, "  to  have  a  snake  attack  you,  and  we  should  see  more 
snakes  than  bears  that  day"  (which  I  thought  very  likely), 
"  and  maybe  some  of  us  would  get  snake-bit  for  sartin." 

As  if  to  strengthen  Joe's  prediction,  we  killed  on  our 
homeward  route,  two  ground  and  one  large  prairie  rattle- 
snake, the  death  of  each  one  eliciting  from  Joe  the  remark, 
"  Dog  on  my  cat,  I'd  a  swore  it." 

Arrived  at  the  settlement,  disappointment  awaited  us. 
Joe's  brother-in-law,  Sam  Ming,  had  gone  out  turkey-hunt- 
ing, and  taken  with  him  all  the  curs,  which  alone  are  use- 
ful in  turkey  or  bear-hunting — all  that  is  required  in  either 
being  their  noisy  bark — and  moreover,  good  dogs  are  very 
seldom  trusted  to  encounter  with  Bruin,  their  courage 
usually  proving  fatal  to  them  in  such  combats. 

Noon  arrived,  and  with  it  the  usual  allowance  of  boiled 
jerked  beef,  corn  bread  and  coffee.  One,  two,  three 


THE   HUNTING  PARTY.  25 

o'clock  were  successively  marked  by  the  shadow  in  the 
doorway,  but  no  Sam  and  no  dogs. 

Joe  bore  it  like  a  martyr,  amusing  himself  with  his 
pipe  and  an  occasional  nap,  until  near  sundown  ;  and 
then  saying,  "  Night  with  a  moon  in  it  was  as  good  for 
bar  as  sunlight,"  he  set  about  mustering  his  forces. 

First  in  the  ranks  appeared  a  tall,  lanky  Alabamian, 
named  Poke — six  feet  four  inches  in  height,  broad  in  the 
shoulders,  loose  about  the  hips,  thin  in  the  legs,  hands 
and  feet  of  great  size,  hair  as  light  as  that  of  our  modern 
Horace,  eyes  green  as  those  of  a  cat  in  the  dark,  a  face 
flabby  and  white,  without  expression,  and  a  head  as  full 
of  emptiness  as  that  horror  which  nature  is  said  to  enter- 
tain of  a  vacuum  would  permit.  He  was  a  great  braggart, 
a  great  bore,  and  the  great  butt  for  the  rough  jokes  of  the 
whole  settlement.  Next  on  the  list  was  a  bulky,  blunder- 
ing son  of  Erin,  remarkable  for  nothing  but  his  blun- 
ders, and,  as  a  proof  of  it,  he  had,  for  the  occasion,  divested 
his  feet  of  a  heavy  pair  of  "  pot  metal"  boots,  and  invested 
them  in  two  old,  worn-out,  slip-shod  brogans,  whose  size 
proved,  that  huge  as  were  Moore's  feet,  some  one  existed, 
or  ha<?  existed,  who  could  have  given  them  large  odds, 
and  beat  them.  Two  brothers  of  Joe's,  Dave  and  Baze, 
the  missing  Sam  Ming,  who  had  just  made  his  appearance 
with  the  dogs  and  quite  a  show  of  wild  turkeys,  and  a 
venerable  negro  in  a  remarkable  state  of  preservation 
considering  his  age,  completed  our  number. 

"  Massa  Dave,"  asked  old  Csesar,  "  aint  a-gwain  to  fetch 
Bose  along  ?" 

"  NJO,  indeed,"  replied  Dave.  "  Shan't  have  him  spoiled 
for  no  bar." 

"  Now,  look  yeah,  Massa  Dave,"  persisted  the  negro  ; 
2 


26  BEAR   AND   SNAKE. 

"ole  Bose  aint  a-gwain  to  get  heself  hurt  wid  no  bar. 
Dese  pups  aint  no  account — dey  dusnt  know  a  bar  from  a 
two-yer-old — dey  mus  hab  some  one  to  show  em  de  way, 
and  den  dey  kin  do  de  yippin'  fas  enuff." 

Joe  and  the  others  chimed  in  with  Caesar,  but  Dave 
was  deaf  to  all  entreaties,  and  would  not  risk  the  life  and 
limbs  of  a  dog  "  worth,"  he  said,  "  three  cows  and  calves." 
He  had  better  have  taken  old  Africa's  advice. 


CHAPTER  II. 

MORE  SNAKE  THAN  BEAR. 

JOE,  as  a  matter  of  course,  took  the  lead  ;  next  came  the 
redoubtable  Poke,  armed  with  a  double-barrel,  which  ex- 
cited both  the  sneers  and  the  laughter  of  his  compatriots ; 
Dave,  Baze,  and  Sam  composed  the  main  body,  while  old 
Africa  and  young  New  York,  in  the  persons  of  Cassar  and 
myself,  brought  up  the  rear.  Csesar  was  evidently  in  an 
especial  bad  humor ;  so  bad,  indeed,  that  the  forced 
absence  of  his  favorite  "  Bose"  would  hardly  account  for 
it ;  and,  as  he  stumped  along  behind  me  with  a  fire-pan  on 
his  shoulder  and  an  axe  in  his  hand,  every  time  that  he 
made  a  mis-step,  hurt  his  toe,  or  that  his  shin — the  seat  of 
African  honor — came  in  rude  contact  with  unexpected 
substances,  so  brimful  was  he  of  ire  and  bitterness,  that 
no  small  quantity — spilled  as  it  were  by  the  jolt — would 
overflow  in  the  form  of  a  round  dozen  of  African  oaths, 
succeeded  by  a  continued  rumble  of  mutterings,  for  all  the 
world  like  distant  Dutch  thunder. 

"  Dog  gone,  de  fool  1  who  ax  him  for  come,  hey  ?  Antee 
gwain  cotch  dis  child  wid  the  pups,  no  how.  Mass  Joe's 
sense  mus  be  done  gone  any  how ;  das  a  fac." 

"  Why,  Ccesar,"  said  I,  at  length,  "  what  can  be  the 
matter  ?  what  has  disturbed  your  equanimity  ?" 

"  Stnb'd  my  ekalimity !  massa  Phil,  dah's  nuff  to  stub 
enny  white  folks'  ekalimity,  let  'lone  poor  nigga,  sah. 
Dars  Mass  Dave's  gone  leff  Bose  home — knows  more'n 


28  MORE  SNAKE  THAN  BEAR. 

him,  any  day — and  that  no  count  Mass  Poke,  he  got  dern 
fool  scatter  gun,  wid  cussed  (Casar  for  percussion)  locks, 
and  bofe  of  the  hammers  down.  Whose  gwain  to  hunt  de 
dogs  ahead  ob  him,  I  like  to  know  ;  faint  dis  nigga. 
F'e's  gwain  to  shoot  somebody,  best  send  in  white  folks  ; 
dey  don't  cost  nuffin ;  nigga's  wuff  de  money  ;  cant  ford 
it,  sah." 

Csesar  was  quite  right  in  the  matter  of  Poke  and  his 
gun.  The  gentleman  was  a  sportsman  and  horseman  of 
the  Winkle  school,  never  of  any  benefit  in  expeditions  of 
this  kind,  and  generally  the  cause  of  mischief. 

As  for  the  situation  of  his  gun,  it  may  not  be  amiss  for 
me,  here,  to  give  a  hint  to  all  young  sportsmen. 

Never  carry  a  percussion  gun  with  the  hammer  in  any 
other  way  than  at  half  cock.  A  slight  blow,  a  fall,  or  a 
projecting  limb,  may  cause  a  discharge,  if  the  hammer  be 
down  ;  and  I  have  known  lives  lost  and  limbs  destroyed 
for  the  want  of  proper  caution  in  this  respect. 

By  the  time  we  had  reached  the  "  timber,"  the  short- 
lived twilight  had  waned,  and  night  had  fairly  set  in  ;  the 
moon  was  quite  low  down  in  the  horizon,  but  a  thousand 
pretty  inquisitive  stars  were  peeping  down  upon  us 
through  the  foliage  of  the  old  oaks. 

We  were  pushing  lustily  forward  in  Indian  file,  the 
canine  portion  of  the  party,  at  least,  in  fine  spirits,  when 
a  loud  shout  from  the  rear  brought  us  to  a  halt  and  to 
the  right  about,  and  in  a  few  moments  a  new  comer  was 
received  with  a  hearty  greeting  from  all  hands.  He  was 
the  pioneer  of  a  race  that  is  destined  ere  long  to  overrun 
this  region,  a  shrewd  thorough-going  Yankee  peddler, 
who  had  brought  with  him  into  the  wilderness  a  large 
stock  of  clocks  and  other  notions,  now  mostly  converted 


A   FIEE   IN    THE   BEAR.  29 

into  cows  and  calves.  He  disposed  of  his  wares  at  exor- 
bitant prices,  receiving  in  pay  the  above-named  bovine 
currency  of  the  country,  at  the  customary  trade  price — 
ten  dollars  per  pair — and  bid  fair  so'on  to  become  one  of 
the  largest  stock  owners  in  the  prairie. 

Good-natured,  ever  ready  for  "  trade,"  quick  at  rude 
repartee,  seemingly  liberal,  and  by  no  means  deficient  in 
either  tact  or  courage,  he  was  a  great  favorite  with  all. 

Caesar,  despite  of  all  remonstrances,  was  now  ordered 
ahead  with  the  dogs,  and  went  off  very  sullenly,  having 
previously  intrusted  our  Yankee  friend  Biggs  with  the 
lire-pan.  For  some  time  both  Joe  and  the  negro  had 
their  hands  full  with  the  curs,  who  were  running  and 
yelping  in  every  direction,  and  at  all  kind  of  game  ;  but 
before  long  a  shout  from  the  men,  and  a  prolonged  and 
general  chorus  from  the  dogs,  told  us  that  something  of 
consequence  was  up. 

Off  we  dashed,  hurry-scurry,  in  hot  pursuit  of  the 
clamor,  but  little  heeding  briers  and  brambles,  rents  or 
scratches,  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment. 

Joe  and  Cassar  were  soon  in  sight,  then  disappeared  for 
a  moment  as  they  rushed  down  a  steep  gully.  Joe's  "  yip" 
had  just  announced  that  he  had  reached  the  opposite  bank, 
when  our  evil  genius  Poke,  so  full  of  the  chase  that  he 
had  not  noticed  the  dry  bayou  before  him,  pitched  head- 
long down  the  precipitous  bank.  Off  went  he,  and  off 
went  his  gun,  and  in  an  instant  a  yell,  that  no  white  man's 
throat  could  have  uttered,  announced  that  the  shot  had 
told. 

"  0,'ki' !  bress  de  Lor',  Mass  Poke,  d n  you,  sar, 

got  this  nigga  to  pay  for  ;  tank  de  Lor'  for  dat  massy, 
anyway.  Whafor  you  no  shoot  yuself,  and  do  sometin 


30  MORE  SNAKE  THAN  BEAR. 

good  ?  Who  axed  you  hit  dis  chile  ?  Pray  de  gorry 
mity  ye  broke  yer  dern  fool  no  count  neck" — came  up  from 
the  hollow  in  broken  sentences,  as  the  poor  fellow  rolled 
down  the  opposite  side,  and  finally  landed  right  on  top  of 
Poke,  who  lay  on  his  back  shouting  for  help,  and  insisting 
upon  it  that  at  least  every  other  bone  in  his  body  had 
been  broken.  In  spite  of  the  certainty  that  some  mischief 
had  been  done,  and  the  uncertainty  of  its  extent,  we  were 
fairly  convulsed  with  laughter  ;  and  when,  after  an  evi- 
dent tussle  between  the  two,  a  crash  was  heard,  and 
Caesar's  voice  proclaimed  in  triumphant  tones  :  "  Dar,  dat 
gun's  fixed  for  slow  shootin  ;  won't  kill  no  more  niggas  ; 
smash  him  to  pipe  stems,  dat's  some  comfit,"  we  had  per- 
force to  roar. 

In  a  moment  after  both  made  their  appearance,  and 
anger  had  evidently  obtained  the  mastery  of  pain  and  fear. 
No  serious  damage  had  been  done  to  either,  and  the 
return  of  killed  and  wounded  exhibited  no  greater  disas- 
ters than  a  barked  nose  upon  Poke,  a  slight  graze  of  two 
shots  upon  a  very  pinguid  and  prominent  portion  of 
Caesar's  person,  and  a  double-barrel — the  parent  of  all 
this  mischief— put  entirely  hors-de-combat. 

Having  repaired  damages  and  patched  up  a  temporary 
truce  between  the  contending  parties,  we  dashed  off  at  the 
best  speed  we  might  after  the  dogs,  whose  yelping  sound- 
ed more  dim  in  the  distance.  Joe  declared  that  he  had 
started  a  bear,  and  have  him  he  would.  To  all  appear- 
ance the  bear  had  either  taken  a  tree,  or  else,  relieved 
from  the  fear  of  his  great  enemy — man — turned  upon  his 
tormenting  pursuers. 

The  latter  proved  to  be  the  case,  and,  having  squeezed" 
through  a  thick  piece  of  cane,  we  came  suddenly  upon  as 


THE   BEAR  TREED.  31 

pretty  a  scene  of  confusion  as  ever  a  somewhat  dull  moon 
— one-half  its  beams  being  tangled  with,  and  intercepted 
by,  the  over-hanging  branches — partly  illumined.  An  un- 
gainly object  in  black  was  dimly  visible  near  a  huge  tree, 
and  surrounded  by  a  dozen  or  more  dogs,  of  all  colors, 
breeds,  and  sizes,  barking  to  the  manifest  danger  of  their 
lungs,  dashing  at  him  whenever  his  back  was  turned,  and 
he  for  a  moment  quiet,  but  retreating  in  a  most  undigni- 
fied manner  in  all  directions  when  he  launched  at  them, 
which  operation  he  performed  sometimes  upon  four  feet, 
and  sometimes  upon  two,  accompanying  his  demonstrations 
with  particularly  edifying  growls. 

The  crackling  of  the  cane  and  the  shouts  of  his  pursuers, 
partly  audible  amid  the  general  din,  at  length  aroused 
Bruin  to  a  lively  sense  of  the  true  danger  of  his  situation  ; 
and  abandoning  in  haste  his  inglorious  conflict,  he,  in 
his  hurry,  did  the  very  worst  of  all  things  possible — took 
a  tree. 

Now  all  of  this,  although  occupying  some  time  in  recital, 
was  in  transaction  but  the  work  of  a  moment ;  and  the 
bear  had  mounted  some  twenty  feet  before  a  gun  was 
levelled  at  him. 

"  Hold  on — don't  fire,"  cried  Dave — the  shot  on  all  great 
occasions — to  Moore,  who  was  raising  his  old  musket,  as 
I  thought,  with  an  insane  intention  of  shooting  the  moon  ; 
"  hold  on,  let  him  get  quiet." 

Too  late.  Moore  blazed  away,  and  very  luckily,  con- 
sidering who  it  was,  did  no  particular  mischief.  Another 
gun  was  fired,  and  then  Joe's  voice  was  heard  in  tones  of 
warning : 

"  Look  out,  boys !  He's  a  coming  ;  stand  clar."  Bruin 
had  discovered  his  error,  and  although  more  frightened 


32  MORE  SNAKE  THAN  BEAB. 

than  hurt,  was  apparently  meditating  a  retreat.  An 
instant  after,  and  any  doubts  that  might  have  been  enter- 
tained on  the  subject,  were  dissipated  ;  for,  being  some- 
what pressed  for  time,  and  under  the  circumstances  pre- 
ferring the  shortest  way,  Bruin  suddenly  let  go  all^  and 
down  he  came  with  a  tremendous  thug,  plump  in  the  midst 
of  the  dogs,  and  very  narrowly  escaped  making  a  general 
average  among  them. 

Every  gun  yet  undischarged  was  immediately  fired  at 
him,  and  evidently  with  some  effect,  for  although  the 
gentleman  in  black  made  off  again  upon  three  legs,  there 
was  anything  but  "  grace  in  his  steps,"  and  his  pace  could 
scarcely  be  termed  tiptop. 

Moore  snatched  the  axe  from  old  Caesar's  hands,  and 
was  after  the  quarry  on  the  instant. 

Away  went  Bruin,  and  away  went  Moore  ;  the  rest  of 
us  following  closely,  and  in  too  much  haste  to  think  of  a 
reload. 

It  was  becoming  tight  times  with  Bruin.  Moore  neared 
him,  aimed  a  blow  with  his  axe,  missed,  and  went  down 
stem  foremost  with  all  sail  set ;  up  again,  ran  fairly  along- 
side with  the  intention  of  boarding  the  enemy,  and  the 
axe  was  again  poised  for  an  effective  blow,  when  Bruin 
turned  and  made  a  claw  at  him,  tearing  his  nether  gar- 
ments, carrying  off  one  of  the  overgrown  brogans  as  a 
trophy,  and  making  his  mark  pretty  legibly  upon  the  foot 
and  ankle  of  the  unfortunate  Milesian,  who,  jumping 
back,  went  down  this  time  stern  foremost,  impinging 
on  Joe,  and  involving  him  in  the  general  decline  and 
fall. 

While  we  gathered  around  the  prostrate  pair,  Bruin 
plunged  down  the  banks  of  a  bayou  near  at  hand,  and  the 


MOORE   PUTS  HIS  FOOT  IN   IT.  33 

crash  of  the  dense  cane  told  that  he  now  was  upon  pretty 
safe  ground. 

Moore's  wounds  were  neither  deep  nor  dangerous.  If 
he  was  somewhat  deficient  in  coolness,  he  certainly  was 
not  in  courage,  but  seemed  ready  to  come  up  to  the  scratch 
upon  all  occasions,  as  the  late  affair  had  proved  ;  and  so, 
after  rubbing  his  leg  a  minute,  declared  his  readiness  to 
go  on  as  soon  as  the  missing  shoe  could  be  discovered. 

"Shoe,"  said  Joe,  "  whar's  yer  boots?" 

"  At  home,"  answered  Dave,  "  a-waitin'  for  him.  Lucky 
he  didn't  hav  one  on  em  on,  or  the  bar  would  hev  put  his 
foot  in  it !" 

"  Which  shoe  have  you  lost  ?"  demanded  Poke. 

"  The  off  one,  to  be  sure,''  said  Biggs. 

"  Hurroo,  murther,  the  curse  av  Cromwell  on  ye !  it's 
myself  7is  got  it  now,"  yelled  poor  Moore  in  anguish. 
Poor  fellow,  he  had  got  it.  Stumping  along,  he  had 
absolutely  stuck  his  unprotected  toe  into  the  open 
jaws  of  a  large  rattlesnake,  and  received  a  very  dangerous 
wound. 

Joe  and  Dave  commenced  masticating  tobacco  furiously, 
and  Biggs  produced  a  gourd  of  whiskey,  of  which  at  least 
a  tumblerful  was  poured  down  the  sufferer's  throat,  with- 
out any  decided  effort  at  resistance  upon  his  part ;  then  a 
great  poultice  of  the  tobacco  was  bound  upon  the  wound, 
and  more  of  the  whiskey  poured  upon  that.  The  internal 
application  operated  admirably  ;  and  the  patient  recover^ 
ing  his  courage,  now  increased  by  no  slight  addition  of 
the  Dutch  article,  insisted  that  he  was  perfectly  able  to 
get  home,  with  no  other  help  than  that  of  Biggs — and  the 
gourd  of  whiskey. 

As  be  limped  off,  Poke  edged  up  to  old  Csesar,  and 
2* 


34  MOKE  SXAKE  THAN  BEAR. 

asked  in  a  low  and  tremulous  voice,  if  he  thought  there 
were  many  more  snakes  about  there. 

"  Ki,  yes,  massa,"  replied  the  negro,  delighted  to  witness 
his  fear,  "  dare's  more'n  a  cartload  to  de  acre,  just  wha 
we  stan'." 

"  I — I  rather  reckon  I'd  best  go  after  'em,"  said  Poke, 
aloud.  "  Moore'll  want  to  be  carried  afore  he  gets  far  ; 
and  Caesar  and  Sam  had  best  come  along  too." 

"  No,  no,"  answered  Dave,  "  they'll  do  well  enough  ;  if 
you  want  to  go,  go.  I'm  not  agoin'  to  give  this  up  yet." 

All  the  remainder  of  the  party  coincided  with  Dave 
except  Joe,  whose  faith  in  the  adverse  omen  of  the  morn- 
ing was  marvellously  strengthened,  and  he  now  insisted 
that  all  chance  for  overtaking  the  bear  was  at  an  end  for 
the  present ;  that  he  could  be  found  in  the  morning  with 
the  aid  of  old  Bose  and  the  hounds;  and  that  then  he 
would  be  not  far  off,  and  the  stiffness  from  his  wounds 
and  weakness  from  loss  of  blood  would  render  him  an 
easy  prey. 

Poke  endorsed  all  of  Joe's  arguments,  and  called  our 
attention  to  the  threatening  appearance  of  the  sky,  which 
was  fast  becoming  overclouded.  Dave,  Sam,  Baze,  and 
old  Caesar  were  for  having  the  bear  at  any  rate  ;  and  how 
the  affair  would  have  terminated  I  know  not,  if  the  negro 
had  not  cut  the  Gordian  knot. 

I  noticed  him  stealing  slily  behind  Poke,  who  was  too 
much  engaged  in  the  discussion  to  notice  him ;  and  in  a 
moment  after  the  long-legged  Alabamian  gave  one  terrific 
yell,  and  flopped  over  upon  the  ground. 

"  Snake  !  sn-a-a-a-ke ! !  sn-a-a-a-ke  1 1 !  Oh,  Lord,  I'm  a 
dead  man.  Help !  murder !  I'm  done  for !  Carry  me 
home.  Send  for  a  doctor.  I'm  as  good  as  dead  now.  1 


SCRAPS   OF   EARLY  PIETY.  35 

feel  it  a  comin'.    My  hand's  cold  already.     Can't  some- 
body pray? 

"'Now  I  lay  me  down  to  sleep — 

#  *  #  * 

" '  Your  little  hands  were  never  made 

To  tear  each  other's  eyes.'" 

These  rather  heterogeneous  lines  were  probably  the 
only  remnants  of  early  piety  in  the  storehouse  of  his 
memory. 

We  tried  to  comfort  him,  to  ascertain  the  situation  of 
his  wound  ;  but  all  in  vain,  he  would  die.  Nothing  could 
help  him.  We  must  carry  him  home,  and  let  him  die  in  his 
bed.  His  limbs  were  stiffening  now,  and  then  he  yelled 
and  roared  again  like  a  mad  bull. 

There  was  no  help  for  it.  So  shouldering  him  bodily, 
we  started  for  home  at  a  slow  pace.  The  negro  would 
not  go  near  him.  Snake-bit  people  bit  others,  he  had 
heard,  and  he  would  not  risk  it. 

After  a  while,  Cassar  approached  Joe,  and  whispered 
something  in  his  ear,  which  caused  him  to  give  an  emphatic 
whistle ;  then  he  announced  that  he  was  quite  tired,  and 
must  deposit  his  precious  burden  for  a  moment  on  mother 
earth. 

In  spite  of  all  Poke's  remonstrances  and  groans  this 
was  done.  Then  Joe  whispered  the  secret  to  me  and  to 
the  rest,  and  leaving  the  wounded  gentleman  reclining 
upon  a  bed  of  leaves,  we  quietly  walked  off. 

"  Hollo,  don't  leave  me  ;  I  ain't  dead  yet.  Don't,  oh 
don'f,"  shouted  Poke. 

"  Keep  cool,"  said  I,  "  we  are  only  going  to  make  a  lit- 
ter for  you,  and  will  be  back  in  a  moment;" 


36  MORE  SNAKE  THAN  BEAE. 

We  pushed  on,  regardless  of  his  cries,  and  very  soon  our 
laughter,  no  longer  to  be  controlled,  broke  forth.  The 
would-be  dying  man  heard  it,  and  recovering  the  use  of 
his  limbs  in  a  miraculous  manner,  came  up  in  a  run,  swear- 
ing at  us  for  our  inhumanity,  appealing  to  our  compassion, 
and  insisting  upon  it  that  he  would  not  live  to  reach  home, 
all  in  a  breath. 

"  Shut  up,"  said  Joe,  "  the  nigger  only  spurred  you  a  lit- 
tle with  a  piece  of  cane  ;  that's  all  the  harm  you've  had  ; 
don't  be  a  fool." 

Instead  of  a  fool,  there  seemed  to  be  more  danger  now  of 
his  becoming  a  madman  ;  and  it  was  as  much  as  we  could 
do  to  keep  him  from  laying  violent  hands  on  the  sable 
joker. 


CHAPTER   III. 

MORE   BEEF   THAN  VENISON. 

I  HAVE  already  mentioned  that  Caesar  had  made  his 
appearance,  equipped  with  a  fire-pan,  and  as  many  of 
my  northern  readers  may  not  know  the  article  or  its  use, 
and  as  some  may  think  it  synonymous  with  a  warming- 
pan,  a  little  explanation  is  necessary. 

A  "  fire-pan  "  is  a  kind  of  basket  formed  of  pieces  of 
iron  hoops  or  straps,  to  which  a  long  pole  is  attached  as  a 
handle.  It  is  used  in  "  fire-hunting."  The  hunter  having 
placed  a  number  of  pine  knots  or  chips  of  light  wood  in 
the  basket,  when  he  has  reached  his  hunting  grounds  sets 
them  on  fire,  and  proceeds  on  a  search  for  "  eyes."  A 
deer  or  other  wild  animal,  attracted  and  astonished  by 
the  blaze,  will  stand  very  quietly  until  the  hunter  has 
approached  quite  near  to  him.  The  eyes  of  the  animal, 
reflecting  the  firelight,  are  as  plainly  visible  amid  the 
surrounding  darkness,  as  are  stars  in  a  moonless  night. 
The  hunter,  who  has  previously  carried  the  pan  upon  his 
left  shoulder;  now  transfers  it  to  a  companion,  and  aims, 
not  at  the  eyes,  but  so  that  his  ball  will  take  effect  on  a 
line  equidistant  from  them,  and  at  a  spot  about  one  and  a 
half  inches  below.  This  shot,  if  successful,  will  kill  the 
game  instantly  by  breaking  the  animal's  neck. 

Backwoodsmen  are  good  anatomists,  and  know  exactly 
where  to  find  and  how  to  avoid  the  vital  part  in  any  ani- 
mal ;  and  this  knowledge  is  sometimes  of  singular  utility 
to  them. 


38  MOEE  BEEF  THAN  VENISON. 

The  "  creasing"  of  a  horse  is  a  feat,  which,  though  com- 
mon enough  among  them,  would  electrify  a  northern 
jockey,  and  play  the  deuce  with  the  nerves  of  a  northern 
marksman. 

Horses,  after  having  been  branded,  are  permitted  to  run 
wild  and  free  as  air  upon  the  prairies,  and  it  sometimes 
happens  that  when  some  particularly  fine  and  fast  animal 
is  wanted,  he  is  not  to  be  had  upon  any  ordinary  terms. 
Days  are  spent,  and  quite  a  troop  of  horsemen  employed 
in  hunting  him  up  and  driving  him  to  the  pen,  which, 
when  near  to,  instead  of  entering  peaceably,  he  turns  up 
his  nose  at,  and  giving  a  furious  snort,  dashes  open-mouthed 
at  his  pursuers,  and  charges  through  their  thick  batta- 
lions. 

If  he  has  been  once  properly  "  roped,"  all  that  is  neces- 
sary is  to  get  one  upon  his  neck  ;  but  under  these  circum- 
stances who  is  to  bell  the  cat,  and  how  is  it  to  be  done  ? 

He  is  too  cunning  to  permit  of  a  pursuer's  coming 
within  reach  of  him  when  he  is  at  full  speed,  and  when 
the  rope  is  certain  and  effective,  and  as  he  wheels  and 
charges,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  throw  one  effectively. 

One  or  two  such  attempts  have  been  made  with  similar 
success,  or  rather  with  no  success  at  all,  and  his  owner  has 
decided  that  he  is  to  be  "  creased."  The  best  marksman  in 
the  settlement  is  selected,  the  horse,  if  possible,  sur- 
rounded, and  while  he  is  gazing  at  the  extended  circle 
of  his  pursuers,  as  if  meditating  which  one  it  will  be  most 
safe  to  venture  .near  in  his  attempt  at  escape,  crack  goes 
the  rifle,  but  before  the  report  reaches  his  ear,  a  ball  has 
creased  the  cartilage,  immediately  beneath  his  mane ;  he 
falls  powerless  and  completely  unnerved  to  the  ground. 
In  a  moment  a  noose  is  thrown  around  his  neck,  and 


NECK   OE  NOTHING.  39 

when  recovering,  lie  rises  slowly  and  tremblingly ;  he  sub- 
mits quietly  to  the  disgraceful  rope,  or,  if  previously  igno- 
rant of  its  power,  makes  a  desperate  but  ineffectual  attempt 
to  escape. 

If  the  latter  be  the  case,  his  captor  is  prepared  for  him. 
The  other  end  of  the  rope  is  made  fast  to  the  pommel  of 
the  saddle,  and  when  the  wild  animal  starts  off,  the  ri,der, 
clapping  spurs  to  his  horse,  accompanies  the  fugitive  a  few 
rods,  until  he  be  under  good  headway,  then  throwing  his 
leg  over  the  rope,  wheels  his  horse  and  dashes  off  at  a 
right  angle. 

In  an  instant  the  career  of  the  runaway  is  terribly 
checked,  and  he  is  hurled,  panting  and  bruised,  upon  the 
grass.  So  severe  is  this  discipline,  that  a  horse  never 
requires  a  second  lesson,  and  most  of  them  may  afterwards 
be  ridden  with  safety,  controlled  alone  by  a  rope  around 
the  neck. 

Sometimes,  indeed,  they  are  killed  by  the  fall,  or  neck- 
broken  by  the  rope,  but  such  accidents  are  not  of  frequent 
occurrence. 

The  quarrel  had  been  settled  by  Joe,  who  ordered  the 
bully  to  hold  his  tongue  or  to  "  put  out ;"  and  the  bully 
put  out  for  home,  all  alone,  and  very  much  put  out 
indeed. 

"  Massa  Joe,"  exclaims  Africa,  "  I  see  berry  fine  drove 
ob  deer  dis  ebenin',  jist  in  de  pint  of  timber  bout  half  mile 
off.  I  were  fotchin'  up  the  cows  >  I  seed  'em  feedin'  when 
I  went  up  de  prairie,  and  when  I  cum  back  agin  I  jist 
make  de  pony  fass,  and  crawl  out  in  de  timber,  and  dar 
dey  was,  all  down,  and  dey'r  mighty  apt  to  be  near  dar 
yet — das  a  fac,  I'll  swore  it." 

"Yes,  you  black  scoundrel,"  returned  Dave,  "that's 


40  MORE   BEEF   THAN  VENISON. 

where  you  were  so  late  to-night,  and  that's  the  way  you 
lost  half  the  COAVS,  is  it  ?" 

"  Now,  look  heah,  Massa  Dave,  don't  ye  allers  told  me 
to  keep  my  eye  skinned,  and  look  out  for  deer  meat  when 
I'm  about  on  de  prairie  ?" 

"  I  did  not  tell  you,"  retorted  Dave,  "  to  quit  your  busi- 
ness, and  leave  half  the  cows  behind." 

"  Never  mind  that  now,"  interrupted  Joe  ;  "  about  the 
deer  ;  I'd  like  to  get  some  meat  afore  I  go  home  anyhow. 
Casse !  hev  you  got  any  fireworks  ?  I  don't  want  to  draw 
my  load." 

Csesar  replied  to  this  question  by  pulling  down  a  hand- 
ful of  moss  from  an  overhanging  branch,  and  selecting 
from  it,  by  feeling,  the  black  or  dead  portion  of  it,  he 
threw  the  rest  away.  Next  he  broke  off  the  tiny  twigs 
from  the  ends  of  some  fallen  boughs,  and  then  putting  a 
few  grains  of  powder  upon  a  wad  of  cotton,  went  to  work 
with  flint  and  steel,  and  soon  the  mass  was  on  fire.  The 
burning  cotton  was  then  placed  in  the  centre  of  a  quantity 
of  the  dried  moss,  and  whirled  rapidly  about  until  a  blaze 
broke  forth.  It  was  then  deposited  upon  the  ground,  the 
dead  sticks  placed  upon  it,  and  in  a  few  moments  a 
cheerful  fire  was  burning  in  the  old  forest,  throwing 
its  light  over  a  small  circle,  around  which  appeared  a 
wall  of  darkness,  apparently  tenfold  more  dense  than 
before." 

The  negro  then  drew  from  his  pocket  a  few  chips  of 
light  wood,  or  heart  of  the  pitch  pine,  and  having  ignited 
them,  threw  them  into  the  pan,  and  we  were  ready  for  our 
fire-hunt. 

Cassar  went  ahead,  carrying  the  pan ;  Joe  nearly 
abreast  of  him,  claiming  the  post  of  honor  as  being  more 


THE  WRONG   CUSTOMER.  41 

experienced  in  seeing  and  discriminating  between  the 
yarious  kinds  of  "  eyes"  than  any  other  of  the  company. 

The  rest  of  us — except  Baze,  who  was  packed  off  with 
the  dogs — followed  closely.  Having  approached  the 
prairie,  we  skirted  it  for  some  distance,  moving  along 
steathily  and  silently  in  the  now  open  timber.  Joe's 
keen  eyes  peered  about  in  every  direction,  but  for  a  long 
time  in  vain.  We  had  proceeded  in  this  manner  for 
nearly  two  miles,  the  fire-pan  had  been  replenished  seve- 
ral times  before  anything  worthy  of  note  occurred,  and 
the  whole  party  were  about  wearied  out,  when  a  sharp 
"  hist,"  sibillated  from  Joe's  lips,  brought  us  to  a  halt.  A 
slight  rustle  immediately  before  us  attracted  our  observa- 
tion, and  we  saw  glimmering  in  the  surrounding  darkness 
what  appeared  to  be  two  balls  of  fire.  Joe  shook  out  his 
priming,  carefully  wiped  the  "  frizen  "  and  pan  with  a  bit 
of  woollen  rag,  rubbed  his  thumb  nail  across  his  flint, 
re-primed,  and,  bringing  his  rifle  up,  took  deliberate  aim. 

"  Massa  Joe,"  whispered  Cassar  at  this  critical  juncture, 
"  best  look  sharp  ;  don't  like  them  eyes,  anyway." 

An  impatient  gesture  was  Joe's  only  reply.  The  aim 
was  again  taken,  and  the  crack  of  the  rifle  resounded  in 
the  still  night,  making  a  thousand  echoes  in  among  the  old 
woods. 

"  Bl-a-a-a,"  was  heard  in  very  bovine  accents  from  the 
direction  of  the  victim,  while  from  the  prairie  arose  a 
shout, 

"  D-o-o-n't  fire.    Murder !    Help  !" 

"Massa  Joe's  gone  done  it  dis  time  for  sartin,"  ex- 
claimed the  negro.  "  Dat  deer's  a  two-yer-ole,  dis  chile'll 
swar." 

A  few  steps  brought  us  to  the  scene  of  bloodshed,  and 


42  MORE   BEEF   THAN   VENISON. 

there,  extended  upon  the  ground,  and.  in  the  agonies  of 
death,  lay  a  fine  young  heifer,  bearing  Joe's  ear-crop  and 
brand. 

Joe's  rage  and  sorrow  were  as  nothing  to  his  shame,  for 
a  man  who  shoots  "beef"  instead  of  "deer"  is  for  ever 
after  a  laughing-stock  to  the  settlement.  A  halloo,  in 
reply  to  the  shout  from  the  prairie,  soon  produced  an 
answer,  and  a  return  in  the  person  of  the  redoubtable 
Poke,  who,  fairly  bewildered,  had  been  following  our  mov- 
ing light,  with  the  idea  that  it  proceeded  from  the  settle- 
ment. 

Making  the  best  of  the  accident,  Joe  and  the  rest  soon 
had  the  unfortunate  heifer  skinned  and  dressed.  Wearied 
and  worn  out,  wet  with  the  heavy  dew,  and  scratched  and 
torn  with  thorns  and  briers,  we  slowly  returned  home,  bear- 
ing a  very  ignoble  trophy  of  our  achievements. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

SALUTATORY,   A    WILD-GOOSE    CHASE,    AND   A  MARE'S    NEST. 

VERY  little  attempt  at  early  rising  was  made  by  any  of 
our  hunting  party  on  the  following  morning,  and  small 
was  the  inclination  that  Joe  or  I  felt  for  timber  hunting, 
when  once  fairly  up.  He  poked  about  his  cabin  and  field, 
flattering  himself  with  the  delusive  idea  that  he  was  at 
work,  and  I,  mounting  my  horse,  galloped  off  upon  the 
prairie,  after  nothing  in  particular.  I  had  returned,  din- 
ner had  been  eaten — during  it,  Joe's  wife  asked  him  if  he 
would  have  some  "  deer :"  a  mistake  of  hers,  probably,  as  I 
never  knew  her  to  joke — the  accustomed  pipe  had  been 
smoked,  and  all  the  males  of  the  settlement  were  stretched 
out  upon  their  blankets,  enjoying  their  wonted  siesta, 
when  a  horseman  dashed  up  to  the  fence,  in  front  of  Joe's 
mansion,  and  gave  the  usual  "  halloo." 

I  looked  out,  and  perceived  that  the  horse  had  evidently 
been  severely  pushed,  as  his  reeking  flanks  and  the  lather 
upon  his  sides  bore  testimony.  The  "  halloo"  brought  Joe 
to  his  senses  first,  and  then  to  the  door. 

Whatever  press  of  business  there  may  be,  a  certain 
necessary  ceremonial  is  always  to  be  sacredly  observed 
before  a  visit  to  a  cabin  is  paid. 

First,  the  rider  shouts  out  "halloo,"  which  means, 
"  Got)d  people,  I  am  here,  and  here  I  mean  to  stay  until 
you  come  out  and  keep  the  dogs  off;"  then,  after  an  inter- 
val, the  proprietor  makes  his  appearance,  and  very  lei- 


44  A  WILD-GOOSE   CHASE  AND   A  MAEE's  NEST. 

surely  approaches  the  fence  without  speaking  a  word  ;  he 
next  throws  one  leg  over  the  fence,  then  the  other  follows  ; 
and,  having  attained  the  top,  seats  himself  very  delibe- 
rately upon  it,  and  awaits  the  next  move  from  the  other 
party. 

The  latter  now  brings  his  horse  alongside  the  fence,  and 
the  conversation  commences. 

"  How  are  ye,  Judge  ?" 

"  I'm  right  peart — how's  yerself  ?" 

"  Oh,  I  keep  a  pushin' — how's  the  old  woman  and 
the  boys  ?" 

"  Considerable  sassy,  only  thar's  been  a  smart  chance 
of  ager  down  in  our  neck  of  the  woods." 

"  Got  a  smart  chunk  of  a  pony  thar." 

"  Yes,  sir,  he's  some  pumkins  sure  ;  offered  ten  cows  and 
calves  for  him  ;  he's  death  on  a  quarter." 

"  Come  from  down  the  prairie  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  and  hurried  up  my  critter  right  smart,  I  tell 
you." 

"How's  the  craps?" 

"  Well,  they  ain't  nothin'  to  brag  on,  though  we've  got 
a  gush  of  peaches." 

The  gentleman  upon  the  fence  now  descends  from  it 
with  due  deliberation,  and,  approaching  the  occupant  of  the 
horse,  shakes  hands  with  him  in  a  most  solemn  and  edify- 
ing manner  ;  he  then  surveys  the  horse  from  stem  to  stern, 
probably  examines  his  mouth  to  ascertain  his  age  ;  and 
having  performed  all  these  duties  with  due  decorum,  he 
next  proceeds  to  exhibit  his  hospitality. 

"  Come,  Judge,  'light  and  tie  your  horse  out."  Without 
any  further  remark,  the  Judge  did  as  he  was  desired  ;  and 
having  found  a  stake  driven  in  the  ground,  he  affixed  to  it 


A  JUDGE,   BUT  NO   LAWYER.  45 

one  end  of  the  caberos  (hair  rope)  which  was  attached  to 
his  horse's  neck,  took  off  saddle  and  bridle,  hung  them 
upon  the  fence,  and  made  for  the  house. 

The  great  gravity  with  which  such  affairs  are  invariably- 
conducted,  amused  me  very  much  until  I  became  accustom- 
ed to  it,  and  came  to  look  upon  it  as  a  matter  of  course. 

The  new  arrival  was  no  less  a  personage  than  Judge 
Guffey,  an  Irishman,  and  the  oldest  settler  in  the  county. 
In  consequence  of  his  long  residence  he  had  been  elected 
Judge  of  the  probate  court,  although  it  was  a  great  exer- 
tion for  him  to  write  his  name.  The  office  he  had  held 
for  a  number  of  years,  until  the  business  of  the  court  had 
so  increased  that  it  nearly  distracted  him  with  the  im- 
mense labor  of  thinking  that  it  involved  ;  and  the  young 
lawyers  had  driven  him  within  an  inch  of  madness,  by  the 
manifest  disrespect  that  they  entertained  for  his  decisions, 
and  the  manifold  ways  they  employed  to  reverse  them. 
He  resigned,  and  was  then  chosen  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

In  spite  of  all  the  deliberation  which  had  characterized 
his  proceedings,  the  Judge  was  in  a  great  hurry.  A  cer- 
tain scampish  genius,  known  as  Lefe  Thompson,  who  was 
notoriously  addicted  to  betting  upon  quarter  races,  play- 
ing old  sledge  and  poker,  and  to  little  else,  having  bor- 
rowed money,  and  run  pretty  deeply  into  debt,  had  now 
taken  a  new  step,  and  run  off  altogether. 

As  he  lived  in  the  woods,  he  expected  to  get  off  into 
the  next  county  before  any  of  his  neighbors  were  aware 
of  it ;  but  his  negro  woman  had  the  night  previous  met 
her  lover  "  by  moonlight  alone,"  and  disclosed  the  secret. 
The  Judge  had  been  called  upon  to  issue  some  kind  of 
paper  to  stay  Mr.  Thompson's  further  proceedings  in  the 
case,  and  as  his  usual  amanuensis  chanced  to  be  absent, 


46  A   WILD-GOOSE   CHASE   AXD    A   MARE'S   XEST. 

he  had  hurried  off  to  beg  my  assistance,  after  having  dis- 
patched one  party  in  pursuit  of  a  deputy  sheriff,  who  had 
been  seen  on  the  prairie  in  the  morning,  and  another  to  a 
creditor  who  had  lately  obtained  a  judgment  against  the 
runaway,  with  directions  to  join  him — the  Judge — at 
Joe's  settlement. 

In  half  an  hour  the  expected  party  rode  up,  and  the 
same  interesting  ceremonial  having  been  gone  through 
with,  in  a  grave  and  solemn  manner,  they  entered,  and  we 
proceeded  to  business.  It  appeared  that  although  several 
of  the  creditors  of  the  runaway  had  commenced  suits 
against  him,  but  one  of  them,  however,  had  approached 
sufficiently  near  fruition  to  have  been  converted  into  a 
judgment. 

In  the  backwoods,  a  lawsuit,  even  a  petty  one,  is  an 
affair  of  time  and  moment.  About  a  year  is  required  to 
bring  it  as  far  as  a  decision  in  the  minor  courts ;  then  of 
course  it  is  carried  up,  and  after  standing  upon  the  calen- 
dar of  the  District  Court  for  two  or  three  years,  is  decided 
pro  or  con ;  and  then  the  losing  party  -invariably  trans- 
ports it  to  be  settled  before  the  collected  judicial  wisdom 
of  the  country  embodied  upon  the  supreme  bench. 

Mr.  Lefe  Thompson,  however,  to  save  all  entanglements 
of  the  kind,  and  perhaps  with  a  proper  regard  for  his  own 
purse  and  those  of  his  neighbors,  as  soon  as  suits  began 
to  multiply,  and  legal  papers  to  fall  around  his  devoted 
dwelling,  thick  (in  number)  as  leaves  are  supposed  to  be 
in  Valombrosa,  had  cut  the  Gordian  knot,  and — as  Judge 
Guffey  would  have  said — "  taken  the  shute." 

Lefe  had  conducted  the  whole  affair  very  shrewdly. 
The  planters  and  stock-raisers  had  but  very  little  money 
among  them,  and  that  little  was  too  often  used  for  gam- 


REASONS   FOR  "TRAVELLING."  47 

bling  purposes  alone  ;  many  knew  no  other  use  for  it.  It 
would  have  been  a  sin  to  have  paid  it  away  for  "  store 
goods,"  since  the  hides  of  their  slaughtered  cattle  were 
always  taken  in  trade  for  tobacco,  coffee,  and  powder. 
For  all  neighborhood  purposes,  the  legal  tender  was 
cows  and  calves  ;  and  so  when  by  any  accident  a  little 
hard  currency  was  obtained,  it  was  religiously  laid  aside 
and  husbanded  until  a  game  of  "  seven  up,"  or  "  poker," 
caused  it  to  change  pockets,  generally  into  those  of  some 
of  the  petty  gamblers  that  are  continually  travelling  to  and 
fro,  trading  horses,  making  quarter  races,,  and  always  to 
be  met  with  at  every  frolic  in  the  county,  on  the  look- 
out for  a  customer. 

Lefe  had  been  successful,  and  was  supposed  to  have  amass- 
ed quite  a  "  pile,"  which  he  was  very  loath  indeed  to  part 
with  ;  and  when  he  lost,  if  the  money  were  not  absolutely 
staked,  he  would  usually  put  off  the  winner  with  some  old 
horse  that  he  had  fixed  up  for  sale,  or  a  dubious  note  that 
he  had  received  as  "  lanyappe,"  (Anglice,  boot  money.)  If 
he  won.  however,  nothing  but  the  article  itself  would 
satisfy  him  ;  and  -so  by  getting  what  he  could,  and  keeping 
what  he  got^  he  came  to  be  considered  as  the  "  man  of 
money"  in  his  "  neck-of-the-woods." 

Some  severe  losses,  however,  had  lately  shaken  his 
credit ;  so,  collecting  all  his  debts,  in  some  form  or 
another,  he  had  converted  their  proceeds  into  a  valuable 
female  slave  ;  and  to  avoid  payment  of  his  obligations,  he 
resolved  to  cancel  them  by  a  moonlight  flitting. 

Had  he  committed  any  act  that  the  rude  people  among 
whom' he  lived  would  have  considered  a  crime,  they  would 
have  made  short  work  with  him.  Had  he  stolen  horses, 
or  killed  another's  beeves,  they  would  have  followed  him, 


48  A  WILD-GOOSE   CHASE  AND   A  MARE'S  NEST. 

stripped  him  of  his  property,  and,  if  the  offence  had  been 
of  a  sufficiently  heinous  nature,  given  him  a  terrible  flog- 
ging, accompanied  by  a  warning  to  quit  the  country. 
Nay,  under  sufficient  provocation,  they  might,  perchance, 
have  hung  him  to  the  nearest  tree  ;  but  as  this  was  simply 
an  affair  of  dollars  and  cents,  coupled  with  nothing  that 
they  considered  crime,  he  was  to  be  overtaken  by  the  law, 
or  allowed  to  go  off  scot-free. 

Had  he  been  of  a  surly,  quarrelsome  nature,  it  would, 
perhaps,  have  gone  hard  with  him  ;  but  being  particularly 
rollicking,  noisy,  and  good-humored,  his  creditors  only 
considered  that  he  had  been  too  smart  for  them,  and  were 
rather  amused  than  otherwise  at  the  affair.  His  principal 
debts  amounted  to  some  five  or  six  hundred  dollars ;  but 
the  only  one  for  which  an  execution  could  be  issued,  was 
less  than  thirty,  which  he  might,  and  would  probably  pay, 
and  so  escape  pretty  cheaply,  even  if  overtaken. 

Old  Judge  Guffey,  however,  had  a  plan  of  his  own  ; 
and,  in  furtherance  of  it,  had  dispatched  a  messenger  after 
the  deputy  sheriff — a  man  of  noted  coolness  and  determin- 
ed bravery,  who  would  not  hesitate  a  moment  in  the  dis- 
charge of  his  duty,  even  if  his  own  life  were  staked  upon 
the  issue. 

The  attachment  was  drawn  up,  and  we  waited  until 
near  sundown  for  the  messenger  and  sheriff.  At  length 
the  former  appeared  without  the  latter.  He  had  failed  in 
overtaking  his  man.  This  was  very  unfortunate  for  the 
judge's  plan,  as  the  only  thing  available  in  the  form  of  a 
constable,  was  an  old  man  who  had  sought  the  office  for 
the  honor  of  it,  and  who,  from  his  universal  good  humor, 
and  careless,  obliging  disposition,  was  entirely  unfitted 
for  the  performance  of  his  duties.  He  was  unanimously 


BILLY  PREPARES    FOR    ACTION.  49 

elected,  year  after  year,  because  no  one  was  willing  to 
oppose  or  vote  against  old  Billy  Perkins. 

He  did  admirably  as  far  as  the  service  of  subpoenas 
and  summonses  was  concerned  ;  but  when  the  case  was 
concluded,  and  an  execution  placed  in  his  hands,  if  it  ever 
got  out  of  them,  the  document  was  sure  to  appear  endors- 
ed "no  property  found." 

During  his  whole  official  career  he  had  never  been, 
known  to  make  a  levy  ;  but  having  conducted  the  affair 
to  a  trial,  he  invariably  washed  his  hands  of  it,  and  left 
the  litigants  to  settle  it  as  they  best  could. 

There  was,  however,  no  other  resource,  and  so  "  Uncle 
Billy"  was  mounted  upon  a  fast  horse,  armed  with  a  rifle, 
and  an  execution,  and  ordered  to  seize  upon  the  wench  and 
bring  her  back — refusing  all  offer  of  other  settlement.  In 
this  manner  the  claims  of  the  other  creditors  were  to  be 
satisfied,  as  soon  as  their  suits  had  been  hurried  through 
the  requisite  forms  ;  and  to  expedite  matters,  Billy  carried 
with  him  quite  a  number  of  summonses  to  be  served  upon 
Lefe. 

Billy  now  called  for  a  volunteer  aid  ;  and,  impelled  by 
the  fun  of  the  thing,  the  desire  to  know  how  the  old  man 
would  act  in  an  emergency,  and  what  trick  the  supple 
Lefe  would  resort  to,  I  offered  to  accompany  him  ;  warn- 
ing him,  however,  that  I  would  have  nothing  further  to  do 
with  the  affair  than  to  see  that  he  was  not  interfered  with 
in  the  performance  of  his  duties. 

As  Lefe  had  taken  his  departure  at  about  four  in  the 
morning,  he  might,  had  he  followed  the  direct  road,  have 
crossed  the  county  line  and  been  out  of  danger  ere  this  ; 
but  he  had  chosen  an  out-of-the-way  trail  through  the 
woods,  which  he  was  forced  to  follow  for  five  or  six  miles, 
3 


50  A   WILD-GOOSE    CHASE   AND    A   MARE'S   XEST. 

and  then  turning  off,  to  lose  as  many  more  before  the 
direct  path  could  be  regained.  As  this  made  his  distance 
nearly  forty  miles,  it  was  all  but  impossible  that  he  could 
have  accomplished  it,  incumbered  as  he  was  with  his 
family,  all  his  household  gods,  and  a  Texas  wagon,  filled 
with  what,  in  this  case,  was  literally  "  plunder,"  drawn  by 
those  miserably  slow  oxen — beeves,  as  a  Texan  calls  them 
— for  which  this  part  of  the  country  is  noted. 

We  hurried  on  as  fast  as  the  bad  trail,  and  the  darkness 
which  now  set  in,  would  permit.  We  had  to  stop  now  and 
then  to  pick  up  our  hats,  which  overhanging  boughs  would 
take  a  fancy  to  ;  then  Uncle  Billy's  pipe  required  to  be 
replenished  and  relit ;  then  again  we  had  to  call  at  a  set- 
tler's cabin  upon  the  road,  where  we  obtained  some  intel- 
ligence of  the  fugitives,  but  were  forced  to  remain  until  a 
cup  of  coffee  was  served — a  piece  of  Texan  hospitality 
offered  to  every  visitor,  stranger  or  not,  and  one  that  it  is 
an  unpardonable  breach  of  etiquette  to  refuse.  We  had 
to  swim  muddy  bayous — not  a  very  pleasant  operation  at 
any  time,  but  an  especially  undesirable  recreation  at  night 
— to  proceed  cautiously  over  marshy  ground,  and  slowly 
with  declining  heads  among  the  tree?,  and  the  "  wee  short 
hour  ayont  the  twal "  had  come  and  gone,  before  the  light 
of  a  smouldering  fire  by  the  roadside,  at  some  distance 
before  us,  gave  token  that  we  were  approaching  a 
camp. 

"  Thar  they  are,"  said  Uncle  Billy,  exultingly,  "  best 
look  to  our  guns." 

While  we  were  taking  the  usual  precaution  of  fresh 
priming  our  arms,  the  shooting  up  of  a  more  brilliant 
light,  and  the  rising  of  a  cloud  of  sparks  from  the  camp- 
fire,  proved  that  not  only  was  Lefe  stirred  up  himself,  but 


THE  ENEMY'S  CAMP.  51 

that  he  had  stirred  up  his  fire  to  receive  us,  perhaps  to 
treat  us  to  a  fire  of  a  more  unpleasant  nature. 

Approaching  nearer,  the  figure  of  a  man  appeared  in 
the  centre  of  the  road,  gun  in  hand. 

"  Hold  on,  strangers,"  he  cried,  "  I  ain't  fond  of  company 
this  time  of  night.  Keep  off,  or  I'll  fotch  ye." 

"  No  ye  don't,  Lefe,"  said  Uncle  Billy  ;  "  drop  yer  shoot- 
in'  iron,  or  ye'll  git  mor'n  ye  send  ;  there's  two  agin  one, 
my  sonny." 

"  Hoppee !  why,  Uncle  Billy,  is  that  you  ?  Dog-on-my- 
cat,  ef  I  ain't  glad  to  see  you.  Come,  ride  up  and  light. 
Here,  Sally  !  jump  about,  and  make  Uncle  Billy  and  the 
stranger  a  cup  of  coffee." 

We  alighted  from  our  horses,  and  poor  Billy  unfolded 
his  business  to  the  runaway. 

"  Why,  bless  yer  old  soul,  I  ain't  got  nothing.  Ask 
Sally,  there  ;  I  ain't  got  but  five  dollars  to  take  all  on  us 
clar  to  San  Antone  ;  and  ye  wouldn't  take  that,  would  ye, 
Uncle  Billy  ?" 

"No,  Lefe,  ye  can  keep  your  money*  I'm  consarned 
sorry  for  it,  but  I  must  take  that  ar  yaller  gal  back  with 
me." 

"  My  yaller  gal  ?  Why,  thar  ain't  but  one  execution 
out  agin  me,  and  that's  for  twenty  dollars  and  costs.  You 
can't  touch  the  gal  for  that." 

Here  quite  a  scene  ensued ;  the  wife  crying,  the  girl 
absolutely  yelling  out  her  grief,  the  children  bringing  up 
the  chorus,  and  at  last  Lefe  himself  set  up  a  regular 
bohoo* 

At  last,  Lefe  took  Billy  on  one  side,  and,  showing  him  a 
valuable  horse  that  was  staked  out,  offered,  with  a  sigh,  to 
give  him  up.  For  some  time  Billy  refused,  but  at  length 


52  A  WILD-GOOSE   CHASE   AND   A   MARE'S  NEST. 

Lefe's  arguments  touching  the  illegality  of  seizing  the 
wench  when  proper  security  was  offered  him,  worked  upon 
his  fears,  and  the  dismal  howl  kept  up  by  the  feminine  and 
juvenile  portion  of  the  assemblage,  touched  his  heart,  and 
he  consented. 

The  storm  passed  away,  and  all  was  bright  again. 
Lefe  forced  us  to  take  a  cup  of  coffee,  brought  out  the 
whiskey-bottle,  and  pressed  us  warmly  to  stay  all  night. 
"We,  however,  thought  it  best  to  decline  his  solicita- 
tions ;  and  after  shaking  hands  with  us,  as  if  we  were 
his  best  friends,  he  bade  us  good-by,  remarking  as 
we  rode  off,  "  Next  time  I'm  within  a  mile  of  the 
river,  I  reckon  I'll  cross  over,  and  'camp  on  t'  other 
side." 

What  a  pleasant  ride  we  had  homeward,  and  how 
delightful  an  assistance  to  a  journey  is  a  led  horse,  it 
boots  not  now  to  describe. 

We  arrived  at  Joe's  as  the  whole  party  we  had  left 
there  were  taking  breakfast.  The  judge,  being  defrauded 
of  his  fees,  swore  mildly  ;  but  the  rest  considered  it  a 
pretty  good  joke,  as  much  as  might  be  expected  from 
Uncle  Billy,  who,  upon  the  whole,  was  rather  proud  of  his 
exploit. 

Ere  our  meal  was  finished,  a  "  halloo  "  called  us  to  the 
door.  It  was  the  sub-sheriff. 

"  I  want  to  see  Uncle  Billy,"  said  he. 

"  Here's  Uncle  Billy,"  replied  the  gentleman.  "  What 
is  it,  Dick?" 

"  I've  a  message  for  ye  from  Lefe  Thompson,"  continued 
the  sub-sheriff.  "I  called  at  his  camp  very  early  this 
morning,  and  he  sent  his  thanks  to  you  for  leading  back 
his  father's  horse,  that  he  had  borrowed  to  carry  his  wife 


MORE  PLAGUE  THAN  PROFIT.  53 

to  the  river,  and  wanted  you  to  send  him  to  the  old  man 
to-day,  if  possible." 

"  There,"  said  Judge  Guffey  ;  "  Uncle  Billy,  you  are  like 
your  last  night's  job,  more  plague  than  profit." 


CHAPTER  Y. 

THE   BIG    THICKET — THE  AUTHOR  "  IN   A  FIX." 

A  DAY  or  two  had  passed  by,  after  Mr.  Lefe  Johnson's 
escapade,  when  Joe  and  I  again  took  up  our  line  of  march 
for  the  "  Big  Thicket." 

Had  Joe  been  a  Gothamite  "  to  the  manner  born,"  his 
genius  and  inclination  would  have  led  him  to  Wall  street, 
for  he  was  great  upon  speculation,  usually  spending  one 
third  of  his  time  in  expeditions  "  up  country  "  in  search  of 
silver  mines ;  another  third  in  hunting  "  bee  trees,"  and 
taking  possession  ;  and  the  greater  part  of  the  remainder 
in  studying  how  to  get  a  living  without  work. 

But,  alas  1  Joe  had  never  heard  of  "  bulls"  without 
horns,  nor  dreamed  of  meeting  a  "  bear"  unless  there  was 
mischief  "  bruin."  The  labor  of  a  few  days  sufficed  to 
make  his  somewhat  scanty  crop — a  few  more  to  gather  his 
stock  of  cattle,  and  this  left  him  the  rest  of  the  year  to 
follow  the  bent  of  his  inclination,  which,  without  being 
what  may  be  technically  described  as  "  crooked,"  never- 
theless had  as  many  twists  and  ramifications  as  the  horn 
of  a  veteran  of  the  flock  and  fold. 

His  last  silver  mine  speculation  had,  as  usual,  proved 
unfortunate.  He  had  spent  six  months  in  vainly  search- 
ing the  banks  of  the  upper  "  Trinity,"  for  the  much  covet- 
ed treasure,  but  found  no  banks  there  that  paid  specie. 
He  had  barely  escaped  starvation,  and  being  scalped  by  the 
Indians,  had  returned  home  not  particularly  overburdened 


BACKWOODS  INDEPENDENCE.  55 

with  clothing,  and  with  the  little  that  remained,  of  a 
multifarious  and  forlorn  character,  for  his  tailoring  had 
been  of  the  rudest ;  somewhat  approaching  the  Adam  and 
Eve  style  of  the  art. 

His  tobacco,  coffee,  and  ammunition — the  three  sine  qua 
nons  of  a  backwoodsman — were  nearly  expended,  and  so 
he  set  his  scheming  head  to  work,  to  find  or  invent — aut 
viam  invenit  aut  fecit — some  plan  to  procure  a  proper 
supply.  These  three  aforesaid  articles,  as  I  have  just 
hinted,  to  a  frontier  man,  are  strictly  speaking  the  indis- 
pensables,  for  a  small  patch  of  cotton  and  an  industrious 
wife  provide  his  clothing,  or  if  necessary  the  never  failing 
rifle  is  called  into  requisition  for  a  buckskin.  A  minute 
portion  of  the  surface  .of  our  universal  mother  supplies 
his  bread  ;  almost  all  are  provided  with  a  stock  of  cattle 
or  drove  of  hogs,  and  if  not,  the  universal  rifle  is  again 
summoned  into  the  field. 

A  wolf  skin,  or  the  nearest  palmetto  brake,  furnishes 
him  with  a  hat,  and  a  raw  hide  or  deer  skin,  with  a  cover- 
ing to  his  feet.  So  that  if  his  be  not  a  life  of  genuine, 
though  too  often  lazy  independence,  we  know  not  the  cor- 
rect interpretation  of  the  term. 

Within  four  miles  of  Joe's  cabin,  through  a  thicket  so 
dense  that  even  in  that  country  of  tangled  forest,  it  is 
known — par  excellence — as  the  big  thicket,  runs  the  San 
Jacinto,  a  stream  whose  waters,  pure  and  pellucid,  traverse 
the  finest  timber  in  the  world,  and  according  to  Joe's 
account,  are  patronized  by  an  extensive  variety  of  very 
superior  fish.  Xow  this  fish  part  of  the  business  was  put 
in -as  a  magnet,  lo  attract  me,  and  I  had  to  trust  Joe's 
word  for  it,  as  he  was  the  only  man  in  the  settlement  who 
had  ventured  to  explore  the  tangled  maze. 


56  THE  AUTHOR  "  IN  A  FIX." 

Joe's  brain  had  generated  a  prodigious  idea,  worthy  at 
the  least  of  the  immortal  Jack  Tibbets,  and  the  sum  of  it 
was,  to  go  to  Houston  and  pick  up  a  score  or  so  of  the 
disbanded  volunteers  that  were  hanging  about  the  town, 
with  whom  to  enter  into  an  extensive  lumbering  operation 
in  the  stave  and  shingle  line.  According  to  his  calcula- 
tion a  fortune  was  to  be  realized  in  a  very  short  time  ; 
but  having  had  some  slight  experience  in  his  vagaries,  I 
determined  to  reason  the  matter  with  him,  and  try  an 
experiment  ere  we  plunged  blindly  into  a  serious  matter. 

Reason  he  would  not  hear  •  he  had  thought  the  affair 
over  to  his  perfect  satisfaction,  but  the  experiment  he 
finally  agreed  to  try,  and  thus  the  compromise  had  been 
ultimately  settled.  We  were  first  to  spend  a  month  in 
the  "  timber,"  to  prospect,  as  they  would  say  nowadays. 
Joe  as  master  workman  and  director-in-general ;  I  as 
occasional  assistant  in  the  shingle  business,  and  fisherman 
in  ordinary  attached  to  the  commissariat  department. 

This  plan  was  perfectly  satisfactory  to  me,  for  one 
month,  I  knew,  was  quite  sufficient  to  give  a  quietus  to  any 
of  Joe's  plans,  that  included  personal  exertions  upon  his 
own  part ;  and  in  truth  I  had  heard  so  much  of  the  fish, 
that  a  desire  had  seized  me  to  capture  and  taste  of  them. 

Our  first  excursion,  or  rather  incursion,  was  made  sim- 
ply and  solely  as  a  voyage  of  discovery.  Our  only  sure 
guide  to  the  spot  was  the  fact  that  some  two  miles  up  the 
prairie  ran,  or  perhaps  as  often  stood,  a  "  bayou,"  which 
crossed  it  on  its  way  to  the  river,  and  three  miles  below 
us  was  a  "  marais"  or  slough,  which,  according  to  my  friend 
Joe's  account,  changed  into  a  "  branch :"  then  after  run- 
ning through  a  cypress  brake  or  two,  ultimately  assumed 
the  form  of  a  palmetto  swamp,  and  in  that  guise  joined 


BCYLLA  AND    CHARYBDIS.  57 

the  river.  Now  these  two  land,  or  rather  water-marks, 
gradually  converged,  and  at  last  nearly  met,  so  that  all 
we  had  to  do  was  to  keep  the  "  bayou"  upon  the  right 
hand,  and  the  swamp  upon  the- left — a  modern  version 
of  Scylla  and  Charybdis — and  with  the  aid  of  patience, 
a  huge  hack-knife,  Joe's  woodcraft,  and  extreme  good 
luck,  we  might,  barring  accidents,  and  the  over-clouding 
of  the  sun,  finally  hope  to  attain  the  point  proposed. 

There  was,  to  be  sure,  a  kind  of  path — rather  a  mytho- 
logical affair — supposed  to  have  been  originally  marked 
out  by  some  ancient  party  of  surveyors — partly  kept  open 
by  cattle  where  the  thicket  was  not  very  dense,  and 
occasionally  in  other  parts  by  such  of  the  "  varmint'''  as 
could  crawl  through  the  cane  and  under  the  briers,  so  that 
now  and  then  a  remnant  was  visible ;  but  as  both  ends 
were  totally  blotted  out  from  existence,  and  only  a  few 
marks  of  where  it  had  been,  remained,  it.  was,  if  anything, 
rather  worse  than  useless. 

The  first  part  of  our  journey  was  effected  on  horseback  ; 
but  after  proceeding  some  half  a  mile  into  the  "  timber," 
this  mode  of  progression  was  suddenly  brought  to  a  period 
by  the  dense  undergrowth,  and  we  were  reduced  to  a  very 
natural  and  primitive  style  of  locomotion. 

This  spot  had  been  aptly  named  the  "  big  thicket." 
Immense  bamboo  briers,  like  vegetable  Pythons,  twined 
and  intertwined,  crossed  and  recrossed,  from  tree  to  tree, 
and  shrub  to  shrub,  forming  a  natural  trellis-work  for 
the  thousand  and  one  wild  and  beautiful  vines  that 
abounded  there.  The  "passion  vine,"  with  its  singular 
flower  and  luscious  fruit ;  the  cypress  vine,  with  its  daz- 
zling gem-like  blossoms,  whose  form  is  said  to  have  sug- 
gested the  pentagonal  star  of  the  Texan  flag  ;  the  morn- 
3* 


58  THE   AUTHOR   "  IN   A   FIX." 

ing-glory  trebling  in  size  and  beauty  the  stunted  dwarfish 
thing  found  in  our  northern  gardens,  and  an  immea- 
surable host  of  others  of  minor  importance,  clung  to 
them. 

Above  our  heads  the  gigantic  wax-like  blossoms  of  the 
magnificent  magnolia  grandiflora  shed  a  perfume  rivalling 
that  of  the  lotus,  while  from  the  branches  of  every  tree, 
the  trumpet-creeper,  the  parasite  par  excellence  of  the 
vegetable  kingdom,  suspended  her  crimson  coniform  cups. 
Birds  of  showy  plumage  and  joyous  voice — the  dandy 
paroquet — the  log-cock  with  his  gaudy  head-dress — the 
dusky  mocking-bird,  whose  imitative  but  inimitable  song 
more  than  compensates  for  his  Quaker  attire — were  flit- 
ting to  and  fro,  hopping  from  twig  to  twig  so  careless  and 
unconcerned,  that  it  was  evident  they  were  seldom  annoyed 
with  a  visit  from  the  fell  destroyer,  man. 

We  had  now  to  contend  for  every  step  we  gained  ; 
knife  and  hatchet  were  in  constant  requisition,  and  for 
one  hour  we  pressed  on  in  Indian  file  as  fast  as  we  could. 
Joe  now  announced  the  discovery  of  a  tree,  which  we 
recognised  as  one  that  grew  near  to  the  neglected  trail,  and 
towards  it  we  made  our  way.  On  reaching  it,  we  found  it 
truly  near  something  that  might  have  been  a  trail,  or  might 
have  been  a  rabbit-path,  and  which  led  us  in  a  few  minutes 
into  a  cane-brake,  where  the  rank  cane  grew  in  wild  luxu- 
nance,  thick,  according  to  Joe,  as  "  the  hars  on  a  dog." 
Joe  said,  "  he  allowed  this  wouldn't  pay  for  powder,"  for 
we  had  certainly  stumbled  into  the  slough  which  formed 
our  southern  boundary — and  so  off  we  started  in  an  oppo- 
site direction.  Unfortunately,  while  following  our  trail, 
the  sun  had  become  obscured  ;  and  we  had  been  so  busy 
cutting  our  way,  and  keeping  in  the  path,  that  we  had 


BEAUTIES   OP   A    CYPRESS-BE AKE.  59 

neglected  to  take  an  observation  of  the  prominent  trees 
ahead  of  us. 

The  backwoodsman's  compass — the  black  and  rough 
bark  upon  the  north  side  of  trees — failed  to  assist  us,  for 
so  thoroughly  defended  were  they  by  the  dense  thicket, 
that  the  bitter  northers  seemed  to  have  produced  no  effect 
upon  them.  Under  these  circumstances,  it  was  perhaps 
not  in  the  least  surprising  that,  after  floundering  about 
awhile  in  the  bush,  we  found  ourselves  in  an  immense  and 
gloomy  cypress-brake. 

Reader,  did  you  ever  see  a  cypress-brake  ?  If  not,  you 
have  yet  one  nameless  horror  to  experience — your  first  emo- 
tion upon  beholding  one.  The  brake  is  always  upon  low 
ground,  or  rather  in  a  swale,  which,  during  the  rainy  sea- 
son, is  filled  with  water  ;  but  the  one  into  which  we  had 
stumbled  was  perfectly  dry,  excepting  here  and  there  a  pud- 
dle, containing  rather  more  mud  than  water,  and  densely 
populated  with  that  most  vile  of  reptiles,  the  moccasin 
snake — great  numbers  of  which  had  congregated  there. 

The  ground  was  -perfectly  bare,  fibrous,  and  free  from 
anything  like  grass  or  vegetation,  save  an  occasional 
cluster  of  rank  and  noxious  vines,  of  a  sickening,  deadly 
green.  From  this  drear  abode  arose  the  trunk  of  many  a 
huge  cypress,  shooting  up  its  straight  and  living  shaft  far, 
far  above  our  heads,  seeming  almost  to  pierce  the  clouds, 
and  at  a  great  height  outstretching  its  sp'ectral  arms, 
shrouded  and  draped  with  the  fatal  "  hanging  moss," 
which  lives,  and  feeds,  and  thrives  only  upon  malaria  and 
vapor  of  the  most  deadly  kind.  No  settler  builds  his 
cabin  near  the  spot  where  its  sombre  curtain  is  seen  wav- 
ing to  and  fro,  but  he  shuns  it  as  being  a  sure  token  of  the 
presence  of  pestilence  and  death. 


60  THE    AUTHOR   "  IN   A   FIX." 

Around  the  foot  of  each  tree  are  standing  a  number  of 
those  singular  conical-shaped  shoots,  termed  needles, 
resembling  so  many  grave-stones,  and  slowly  crawling 
among  them,  or  lying  stupid  and  sullen,  with  its  mouth 
wide  agape,  is  ever  found  the  filthy  moccasin.  No  token 
gives  he  of  his  presence  like  the  tocsin  of  the  chivalrous 
rattlesnake ;  but,  should  you  approach  too  near,  you 
would  soon  feel  his  venomous  fangs,  more  fatal  even  than 
those  of  the  latter.  He  is  the  most  hateful  of  his  hateful 
kind,  a  truculent  coward,  and  never,  save  in  one  solitary 
instance,  have  I  known  one  to  offer  an  attack,  or  to 
notice  one  in  any  other  manner  than  by  slinking  hissingly 
away. 

To  my  surprise,  Joe  seemed  quite  satisfied  that  we  had 
fallen  in  with  the  swamp.  His  reasons,  however,  were 
good  :  "  For,"  said  he,  "  this  is  either  a  part  of  the  slough 
— and,  if  so,  must  be  near  the  river — or  it  joins  the  bayou, 
and  if  this  be  the  case,  we  cannot  be  far  from  it  either, 
because  the  slough  and  the  bayou  do  not  approach  each 
other  until  near  it," 

Out  of  the  brake  we  scrambled,  intending  to  make  our 
way  between  the  two  obstacles,  but  we  had  not  proceeded 
far  when  the  sun  made  his  appearance,  shining,  to  my 
astonishment,  not  in  our  faces,  but  upon  our  backs.  Joe, 
however,  nothing  daunted,  took  it  very  quietly,  merely 
muttering  something  about  having  taken  a  "  back-track," 
and  then  wheeling  about,  with  the  sun  for  his  pilot,  guided 
me  directly  to  the  river. 

A  more  beautiful  stream  never  gladdened  my  eyes  ;  run- 
ning over  a  bed  of  pebble  and  rock,  between  shelving 
banks  of  glistening  sand,  white  as  the  unsullied  siiow- 
flake,  it  resembled  rather  one  of  our  pure  and  joyous 


JOE  ON  SUNDAY  FISHING.  61 

northern  waters,  than  anything  of  the  kind  I  had  before 
seen  in  the  south. 

In  a  deep  pool  immediately  beneath  the  overhanging 
bank  upon  which  I  was  standing,  however,  a  half  grown 
alligator,  floating  lazily  upon  the  surface,  and  the  occa- 
sional flash  of  the  fins  and  tail  of  that  shark  of  the  fresh 
water — the  gar — assured  me  of  the  southern  locality. 

Strong  was  the  temptation  to  cast  a  line  into  the  blue 
depths  below,  but  alas !  the  means  and  appliances  were 
wanting.  The  day  was  Sunday,  and  Joe,  albeit  far  from 
a  bigot,  was  a  very  aristocrat  in  his  feelings,  and  had 
put  a  decided  veto  upon  taking  with  us  any  tackle  for  fish- 
ing. 

"  He  was  not,"  he  said,  "  sot  up  about  Sunday,  but 
huntin'  and  fishin7  on  that  day  wer  clar  nigger,  and  went 
agin  him  ;"  and  so  I  dropped  the  subject. 

After  strolling  down  stream  and  selecting  an  eligible 
spot  for  our  camp,  we  returned  ;  and,  although  we  lost 
our  way  again — which,  by  the  by,  we  never  after  failed 
of  doing,  either  in  going  in  or  in  coming  out  of  the  brake 
— yet,  at  length  arriving  safely  at  the  place  where  our 
horses  were  tied  up,  we  mounted  them,  and  soon  reached 
home. 

During  the  evening  I  thought  of  nothing  but  the  fish  ; 
my  dreams  that  night  were  full  of  them,  and  I  awoke 
next  morning  with  the  full  and  fixed  determination,  that 
come  what  might,  that  day  would  I  cast  my  line  into 
the  crystal  waters  of  the  San  Jacinto. 

Joe,  for  a  wonder,  had  something  to  do,  and  after  ad- 
vising me  to  abandon  the  idea  of  visiting  the  river  alone, 
finally  submitted,  saying  that  there  was  nothing  like 
learning,  after  all,  and  giving  me  the  best  advice  and 


62  THE   AUTHOR   "  IN   A   FIX." 

direction  in  his  power,  bade  me  God  speed,  in  his  own 
rough  fashion. 

At  an  early  hour  of  a  bright  morning  did  I  set  forth 
upon  my  mad-cap  expedition,  and  after  some  three  or  four 
hours  of  vigorous  exertion,  found  myself,  heaven  knows 
where.  The  thicket  seemed  to  grow  more  dense  at  every 
step,  until  at  last  I  reached  something  that  resembled  a 
new-made  path.  The  thick  tall  cane  had  been  trampled 
and  crushed,  so  that  for  a  time  I  made  famous  headway. 
As  I  was  pressing  onward,  a  rattling  of  cane  caught  my 
ear,  and  peering  into  the  thicket,  I  saw  something  that  I 
was  convinced  at  a  glance  must  be  either  a  clergyman,  a 
chimney-sweep,  or  a  bear,  and  as  there  was  not  the 
slightest  probability  of  either  of  the  former  gentry  being 
in  such  a  latitude,  I  conjectured,  and  rightly,  that  it  must 
be  no  less  a  personage  than  Sir  Bruin  himself. 

At  the  identical  moment  when  I  made  the  discovery, 
my  sable-coated  friend  had  also  ascertained  my  proximity, 
and  not  knowing  but  that  I  might  be  fair  game  for  him, 
wheeled  in  his  track  and  returned. 

Totally  unarmed,  save  a  large  hack-knife,  I  stepped 
aside  to  a  huge  tree,  and  placing  my  back  against  it, 
awaited  his  coming.  It  was  but  a  moment ;  the  cane 
parted,  and  there  he  stood,  but  stood  not  long. 

I  have  before  in  my  life  made  some  noise,  yet  it  was 
surely  but  as  silence,  when  compared  to  the  yell  with 
which  I  greeted  him.  Which  of  us  was  the  more  alarmed 
I  know  not,  but  the  victory  was  with  me.  Bruin  retreated 
without  tap  of  drum,  and,  with  a  snort  resembling  that  of 
a  plethoric  specimen  of  the  porcine  genus  in  a  state  of 
excessive  alarm,  abandoned  the  field. 

My  joy  at  his  departure  was  much  increased  by  the  dis 


NOT   A  MERRY-GO-ROUND.  63 

covery  that  the  tree  where  I  was  standing,  was  upon  the 
bank  of  the  bayou,  which  I  now  determined  to  keep  in 
sight  until  the  end  and  aim  of  my  journey  was  attained. 

In  a  few  minutes  I  fell  in  with  a  path  newly  cut  in  the 
dense  cane,  and  pressed  onward  with  renewed  vigor. 

Presently  I  came  to  a  tree  which  bore  so  striking  a 
resemblance  to  the  one  which  stood  upon  the  scene  of  the 
bear's  stampede,  that  I  paused  to  look  at  it,  but  remem- 
bering that  it  was  no  phenomenon  to  find,  two  trees  similar 
to  each  other  in  the  forest,  I  resumed  my  course. 

After  the  lapse  of  a  short  interval,  I  passed  a  third, 
then  a  fourth,  and  finally  a  fifth  tree,  all  alike,  and  for  the 
first  time,  the  many  tales  I  had  heard  of  lost  travellers 
moving  round  and  round  in  a  circle,  from  which  there 
seemed  no  escape,  flashed  upon  my  mind. 

But  no,  this  might  not  be  ;  I  had  kept  the  banks  of  the 
bayou  upon  my  right,  and  must  now  be  going  down  stream. 
However,  for  my  satisfaction,  I  determined  to  mark  the 
tree  with  a  "  blaze,"  did  so,  and  went  on.  In  a  short  time 
my  vegetable  "  old  man  of  the  sea  "  again  hove  in  sight, 
and  upon  examination  there  was  the  "  blaze  "  I  had  so 
lately  cut. 

It  was  perfectly  inexplicable.  Had  I  gone  mad  ?  Was 
this  some  illusion  of  the  senses?  I  thought,  and  with  a 
shudder,  of  a  certain  old,  withered,  parchment-faced  Afri- 
can negres-s,  a  privileged  character  in  Joe's  settlement, 
whose  hitherto  undisputed  claims  io  the  possession  of 
magic  power  I  had  seen  tit  to  call  in  question  and  ridicule 
only  the  previous  evening,  to  the  manifest  alarm  of  the 
listeners. 

A  moment's  reflection,  however,  banished  all  this,  and 
laughing  at  my  singular  situation,  I  determined,  coute  qui 


64  THE   AUTHOR   "  IN  A   FIX." 

coute,  to  escape  from  this  modern  labyrinth.  Down  the 
precipitate  banks  of  the  bayou  I  dashed,  and  made  my 
way,  now  upon  one  side  of  the  nearly  dried  up  stream, 
now  upon  the  other,  and  now  through  the  shallow  water 
in  its  bed.  Once  more  and  for  the  last  time  my  tree  was 
seen,  and  the  mystery  was  solved.  It  appears  that  I  had 
stumbled  upon  a  peninsula  formed  by  the  bayou's  doubling 
upon  itself.  The  entrance  was  but  a  step  from  bank  to 
bank,  and  my  chance  of  finding  the  way  out  by  the  same 
isthmus  was  smaYl  indeed. 

By  the  time  I  reached  the  river,  the  sun  was  declining, 
and  threatening  clouds  warned  me  to  make  the  best  of  my 
way  homeward.  Without  experiencing  any  serious  mis- 
hap, save  my  reaching  the  prairie,  three  miles  above  the 
proper  place,  I  arrived  in  safety,  perfectly  satisfied  with 
my  exploit,  and  willing  in  future  to  wait  Joe's  motions. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

HOW  I   CAUGHT   A   "  CAT,"   AND   WHAT  I   DID  WITH  IT. 

AT  last  behold  us  fairly  located  upon  the  banks  of  the 
river,  where  Joe  had  selected  a  fine,  hard  shingle  beach 
upon  which  to  pitch  our  camp.  This  same  camp  was  an 
extemporaneous  affair,  a  kind  of  al  fresco  home,  formed  by 
setting  up  a  few  crotches  to  sustain  a  rude  roof  of  un- 
dressed shingles,  manufactured  impromptu, — there  known 
as  "  boards," — supported  upon  diminutive  rafters  of  cane. 

This  done,  a  cypress  suitable  for  a  canoe,  or  "  dug  out," 
was  selected,  and  in  two  days  shaped,  hollowed  out,  and 
launched.  Fairly  embarked  now  in  the  business,  I  found 
but  little  difficulty  in  obtaining  a  supply  of  green  trout 
and  other  kinds  of  river  fish,  but  the  huge  "  Cats" — where 
were  they  ?  I  fished  at  early  morn  and  dewy  eve,  ere  the 
light  had  faded  out  from  the  stars  of  morning,  and  after 
dame  Nature  had  donned  her  robe  de  nuit, — all  was  vain. 

Joe  counselled  patience,  and  hinted  that  the  larger 
species  of  "  Cats"  never  ran  but  during  a  rise  or  fall  in 
the  river,  and  must  then  be  fished  for  at  night. 

One  morning,  heavy  clouds  in  the  north,  and  the  sound  of 
distant  thunder,  informed  us  that  a  storm  was  in  progress 
near  the  head  waters  of  our  stream.  My  rude  tackle  was 
looked  after,  and  bait  prepared  in  anticipation  of  the  pro- 
mised fish,  which  the  perturbed  waters  of  the  river  were 
to  incite  to  motion. 

Night  came,  and  I  left  for  a  spot  where  I  knew  the  Cats 


66  HOW   I   CAUGHT  A   "  CAT." 

must  frequent;  a  deep  dark  hole,  immediately  above  a 
sedgy  flat.  My  patience  and  perseverance  at  length  met 
with  their  reward.  I  felt  something  very  carefully  examin- 
ing the  bait,  and  at  last  tired  of  waiting  for  the  bite,  struck 
with  force. 

I  had  him,  a  huge  fellow  too  ;  backwards  and  forwards 
he  dashed,  up  and  down,  in  and  out.  No  fancy  tackle 
was  mine,  but  plain  and  trustworthy,  at  least  so  I  fondly 
imagined. 

At  last  I  trailed  the  gentleman  upon  the  sedge,  and  was 
upon  the  eve  of  wading  in  and  securing  him,  when  a  splash 
in  the  water  which  threw  it  in  every  direction,  announced 
that  something  new  had  turned  up,  and  away  went  I,  hook, 
and  line,  into  the  black  hole  below.  At  this  moment  my 
tackle  parted,  the  robber — whether  alligator  or  gar  I 
knew  not — disappeared  with  my  half  captured  prey,  and  I 
crawled  out  upon  the  bank  in  a  blessed  humor. 

My  fishing  was  finished  for  the  evening  ;  but  repairing 
the  tackle  as  best  I  could,  casting  the  line  again  into  the 
pool,  and  fixing  the  pole  firmly  in  the  knot-hole  of  a  fallen 
tree,  I  abandoned  it,  to  fish  upon  its  own  hook. 

When  I  arose  in  the  morning,  a  cold  "  norther"  was 
blowing  fiercely,  and  the  river  had  risen  in  the  world 
during  the  night.  The  log  to  which  my  pole  had  formed 
a  temporary  attachment,  had  taken  its  departure  for  parts 
unknown,  and  was  in  all  human  probability  at  that 
moment  engaged  in  making  an  experimental  voyage  on 
account  of  "  whom  it  may  concern." 

The  keen  eyes  of  Joe,  who  had  been  peering  up  and 
down  the  river,  however,  discovered  something  upon  the 
opposite  side  that  bore  a  strong  resemblance  to  the  missing 
pole,  and  when  the  sun  had  fairly  risen,  we  found  that 


A  SELF-FISHING  POLE.  67 

there  it  surely  was,  and  moreover  its  bowing  to  the  water's 
edge,  and  subsequent  straightening  up,  gave  proof  that  a 
fish  was  fast  to  the  line. 

The  northern  blast  blew  shrill  and  cold,  and  the  ordi- 
narily gentle  current  of  the  river  was  now  a  mad  torrent, 
lashing  the  banks  in  its  fury,  and  foaming  over  the  rocks 
and  trees  that  obstructed  its  increased  volume. 

Joe  and  I  looked  despairingly  at  each  other,  and  shook 
our  heads  in  silence  and  in  sorrow. 

Yet  there  was  the  pole  waving  to  and  fro,  at  times  when 
the  fish  would  repeat  his  efforts  to  escape — it  was  worse 
than  the  Cup  of  Tantalus,  and  after  bearing  it  as  long 
as  I  could,  I  prepared  for  a  plunge  into  the  maddened 
stream.  One  plunge,  however,  quite  satisfied  me  ;  I  was 
thrown  back  upon  the  shore,  cold  and  dispirited. 

During  the  entire  day  there  stood,  or  swung  to  and  fro, 
the  wretched  pole,  now  upright  as  an  orderly  serjeant, 
now  bending  down  and  kissing  the  waters  at  its  feet. 

The  sight  I  bore  until  flesh  and  blood  could  no  more 
endure.  The  sun  had  sunk  to  rest,  the  twilight  was  fading 
away,  and  the  stars  were  beginning  to  peep  out  from  their 
sheltering  places  inquiringly,  as  if  to  know  why  the  night 
came  not  on,  when  I,  stung  to  the  soul,  determined  at  any 
hazard  to  dare  the  venture. 

Wringing  the  hand  of  Joe,  who  shook  his  head  dubi- 
ously, up  the  stream  I  bent  my  course  until  I  reached  a 
point  some  distance  above,  from  which  the  current  passing, 
dashed  with  violence  against  the  bank,  and  shot  directly 
over  to  the  very  spot  where  waved  and  wagged  my 
wretched  rod,  cribbed  by  the  waters,  and  cabined  and 
confined  among  the  logs. 

I  plunged  in,  and  swift  as  arrow  from  the  bow,  the 


68  HOW   I   CAUGHT  A   "  CAT." 

water  hurried  me  on,  a  companion  to  its  mad  career.  The 
point  was  almost  gained,  when  a  shout  from  Joe  called 
my  attention  to  the  pole  :  alas,  the  fish  was  gone,  and  the 
line  was  streaming  out  in  the  fierce  wind. 

That  night  was  I  avenged  ;  a  huge  cat  was  borne  home 
in  triumph.  How  I  took  it,  or  where,  it  matters  not ;  for 
so  much  time  having  been  occupied  in  narrating  how  I 
did  not,  I  can  spare  no  more  to  tell  how  I  did. 

The  next  point  was  to  decide  as  to  the  cooking  of  him. 
Joe  advised  a  barbacue  ;  "  a  fine  fellow  like  that,"  he  said, 
"  with  two  inches  of  clear  fat  upon  his  back-bone,  would 
make  a  noble  feast."  Let  not  the  "  two  inches  of  clear  fat" 
startle  the  incredulous  reader,  for  in  that  country  of  lean 
swine,  I  have  often  heard  that  the  catfish  are  used  to  fry 
bacon  in. 

But  to  the  cooking, 

We  cooked  him  that  night,  and  we  cooked  him  next  day, 
And  we  cooked  him  in  vain  until  both  passed  away. 

He  would  not  be  cooked,  and  was  in  fact  much  worse,  and 
not  half  so  honest  as  a  worthy  old  gander — once  pur- 
chased by  a  very  innocent  friend  of  mine — that  was  found 
to  contain  in  its  maw  a  paper  embracing  both  his  genea- 
logy and  directions  with  reference  to  the  advisable  mode 
of  preparing  him  for  the  table ;  of  which  all  that  I 
remember  is,  that  parboiling  for  sixteen  days  was  warmly 
recommended  as  an  initial  step. 

Sixteen  days'  parboiling  I  am  convinced  would  but  have 
rendered  our  friend  the  tougher.  We  tried  him  over  a 
hot  fire,  and  a  slow  one, — we  smoked  him,  singed  him,  and 
in  fine  tried  all  known  methods  in  vain,  and  finally 
consigned  him  again  uneaten,  to  the  waters. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE    RIVER    CAMP. 

THE  location  of  our  camp  upon  the  river  was  very  roman- 
tic, if  the  purpose  to  which  it  was  devoted  was  not ;  and 
for  solitude,  it  might  have  suited  Zimmerman  himself. 
The  banks  of  the  river  were  quite  high,  but  did  not  rise  at 
once  or  precipitously,  bearing  no  resemblance  to  the  bold 
bluff  shores  that  confine  nearly  all  southern  rivers,  and 
invariably  impart  a  desolate  and  lonesome  feeling  to  the 
traveller ;  seeming,  as  it  were,  to  shut  him  out  from  the 
world  by  some  new  Chinese  wall. 

The  banks  of  the  Upper  San  Jacinto,  on  the  contrary, 
rise  terrace  upon  terrace,  one  above  and  behind  another, 
covered  with  a  thousand  varieties  of  luxuriant  plants  and 
flowers,  and  might  compare  favorably  with  the  hanging 
gardens  of  the  East.  Above,  upon  the  height,  towered 
immense  trees,  indicating  in  their  varieties  the  nature  of 
the  soil  that  gave  them  birth  and  fostered  them. 

Here  a  grove  of  majestic  magnolias,  that  pierced  the 
clouds  with  their  heaven-aspiring  shafts,  announced  the 
presence  of  a  warm,  sandy  loam ;  there  the  funereal 
cypress,  spreading  widely  and  boldly  its  skeleton  arms 
abroad,  draped  with  festoons  of  the  deadly  moss,  told  that 
its  roots  were  imbedded  in  some  moist  swale  or  brake,  at 
once  the  home  of  the  moccasin  and  rattlesnake,  and  the 
pasture  of  the  wild  bee,  who  distils  honey  from  the  rank 
and  noisome  weeds  that  flourish,  and  the  creaming  pools 


70  THE   RIVER    CAMP. 

of  stagnant  water  that  abound  there,  and  finds  a  home  in 
the  vacant  heart  of  some  aged  giant  of  the  woods.  Fur- 
ther down,  a  number  of  tall  pines  exhibited  their  dark 
green  pyramids  in  bold  relief  against  the  clear  sky,  and 
spoke  of  the  barrenness  of  the  land  ;  while  opposite,  the 
luxuriant  growth  of  cane,  and  the  wild  peach,  announced,  in 
a  language  very  intelligible  to  the  land  hunter,  inexhausti- 
ble treasures  beneath  their  feet.  As  far  as  the  river  was 
visible  to  us,  the  different  varieties  of  trees  bent  their  tops 
from  the  main  bank,  as  if  saluting  the  fair  stream  that  was 
carelessly  straying  beneath  their  feet. 

Our  camp  was  located  in  a  bend,  where  the  river  spread 
out  into  a  mimic  bay.  Some  quarter  of  a  mile  above  us  it 
suddenly  burst  upon  the  sight,  as  seemingly  in  a  great 
hurry  it  turned  a  very  short  corner  ;  but  perhaps  finding 
that  it  had  chanced  upon  a  spot  that  was  passing  fair,  or 
for  some  other  reason  not  half  as  good,  forgetting  its 
haste,  it  moved  along  more  gently,  dallying  with  the 
banks,  and  scooping  out  a  deep  place  where  it  turned 
around  for  awhile  for  all  the  world  like  a  kitten  chasing 
its  tail,  and  then,  as  if  tired  of  its  fun,  or — catching  sight 
of  our  camp — ashamed,  like  some  grave  people,  of  being 
caught  engaged  in  a  frolic,  it  spread  itself  out,  and  strolled 
by  us  with  its  hands  in  its  pockets,  and  in  a  very  majestic 
and  dignified  manner.  A  few  rods  more,  and  a  new  idea 
entering  its  brain,  or  desirous  of  making  up  for  lost  time, 
off  it  hurried  again  at  top  speed,  in  a  shallow  way,  but 
enjoying  the  best  of  spirits,  kicking  up  quite  a  dust  among 
the  pebbles  at  its  feet,  as  it  rolled  them  merrily  along, 
bringing  the  poor  little  fish  that  were  endeavoring  to  get 
up  in  the  world,  to  a  stand-still — they,  wagging  their 
tails,  and  wondering  what  the  deuce  was  the  matter 


OUR  FOREST   HOME.  71 

now  ;  and  finally  changing  the  merry  roundelay  that  it 
had  been  gaily  trolling  into  a  loud,  boisterous,  brawling 
song,  it  dashed  around  another  corner  in  a  prodigious 
fury,  breaking  its  head  against  a  troublesome  ledge  of 
rocks  that  were  lying  in  ambush  on  purpose  to  play  it 
this  scaly  trick.  It  was  now  entirely  lost  to  sight,  but 
could  be  heard  for  quite  a  distance  as  it  pursued  its  noisy 
way,  evidently  in  anything  but  the  best  of  tempers,  and 
raising  its  voice,  now  hoarse  and  quarrelsome,  in  bitter 
complaint  of  the  ill  treatment  that  it  had  received. 

In  the  exact  centre  of  the  aforesaid  bend,  a  very  pretty 
piece  of  sedge  that  skirted  the  shore  in  the  form  of  a 
crescent,  united  the  water  and  the  land  ;  and  immediately 
in  its  rear,  but  perhaps  not  more  than  one  foot  higher 
than  the  river,  extended  a  broad  platform  of  hard  sand, 
white  as  the  snow  from  heaven,  and  sparkling  like  frost 
gems  upon  a  winter  night.  Some  fifteen  feet  again  above 
this,  and  joined  to  it  by  a  gradual  and  easy  slope,  was 
another  flat  of  similar  material,  forming  a  small  but  per- 
fect piece  of  tableland.  Upon  the  latter  did  we  pitch  our 
tent  in  the  wilderness. 

Being  in  great  haste  to  catch  my  catfish,  I  dismissed 
the  very  important  matter  of  the  construction  of  our  forest 
home  in  an  exceedingly  summary  and  contemptuous  man- 
ner, and  one  entirely  unworthy  so  important  an  event. 

To  retrace  my  footsteps :  We  arrived  at  the  river,  and 
selected  our  building  spot  about  2  P.M.,  and  Joe  immedi- 
ately announced  that,  if  we  did  not  intend  to  use  the  sky 
for  a  Blanket,  and  did  intend  to  sleep  like  white  folks,  we 
had  better  be  stirring  at  once. 

I  looked  around  rather  troubled,  not  seeing  anything  to 
stir,  and  moreover  not  being  particularly  burdened  with 


72  THE   RIVER    CAMP. 

any  great  skill  in  woodcraft  as  yet,  and  felt  quite  uncer- 
tain as  to  how  we  were  to  complete  a  building  suitable  to 
contain  "  white  folks "  before  the  already  declining  sun 
should  have  gently  edged  himself  out  of  sight  behind  the 
lofty  tree  tops. 

Consoling  myself,  however,  with  the  reflection  that  Joe 
was  truly  wide  awake  in  the  woods,  however  fully  his 
somnolent  propensities  might  have  been  developed  in  the 
settlement,  I  concluded  to  place  full  reliance  upon  his  tact 
and  sagacity,  and  to  obey  his  orders  if  convenient  and 
satisfactory,  which  was,  perhaps,  the  wisest  course  I  could 
have  pursued,  especially  as  I  could  not  help  myself. 

By  his  directions,  I  went  to  work  at  fire-building,  and 
•was  to  cook  our  rude  meal,  while  he  should  search  a 
cypress  brake  at  a  short  distance  down  stream,  until  he 
might  discover  a  tree  that  would  answer  the  double  pur- 
pose of  boat-building  and  shingle-making  ;  and  when  one 
should  have  been  found,  f  was  to  be  informed  of  his  suc- 
cess by  one  of  his  peculiar  "yips,"  which  would  also 
answer  a  double  purpose — keep  up  my  spirits,  and  show 
me  where  I  should  direct  my  more  feeble  and  unpractised 
voice  when  the  pork,  potatoes,  and  coffee  were  prepared. 

Joe  must  on  that  day  have  been  in  high  favor  with  the 
fickle  goddess,  for  scarcely  had  the  faint  flame  flashed  up 
from  among  the  crackling  sticks,  when  a  yell  was  heard,  to 
which  the  roar  of  a  bull  was  but  as  a  gentle  whisper,  and 
the  screech-owl's  note  but  as  the  song  of  the  nightingale. 
I  stood  transfixed  for  a  moment,  until  old  Echo,  having 
taken  up  the  cry  and  bandied  it  from  shore  to  shore, 
finally  carried  it  afar  off,  and  lost  it  in  the  dim  distance, 
and  then  I  tried  my  voice  at  a  reply.  It  would  not  seem 
that  my  attempt  at  rivalry  was  crowned  with  any  distin- 


A   HORSE-CHUCKLE — PORK   AXD   POTATOES.  73 

guislied  success,  for  I  beard  a  very  distinct  rumbling 
away  in  Joe's  direction,  which,  if  there  be  any  inferior 
denomination  of  the  horse  laugh,  known  as  the  horse 
chuckle,  would  certainly  have  come  up  to  my  idea  of  one. 
It  sounded  like  a  bear  suffering  under  a  severe  dispensa- 
tion of  bronchitis. 

Abandoning  all  idea  of  excelling  Joe's  performance  as 
"  the  yett-er"  flower  of  the  forest,  I  went  to  work  in  the 
culinary  department  in  good  earnest,  but  ere  the  faint 
odor  from  the  frying  pork  pervaded  the  atmosphere, 
causing  the  "  varmint "  that  inhaled  it  to  wonder  what 
new  celestial  perfume  had  visited  their  "  diggins,"  and 
inflicting  the  cruel  pangs  of  a  severe  appetite,  and  nothing 
at  hand  to  remedy  it,  upon  any  stray  wolf  that  chanced  to 
be  within  a  mile,  the  ponderous  ring  of  Joe's  well  applied 
axe — astonishing  the  old  woods  for  the  first  time — told 
that  he  had  commenced  operations  in  a  determined  man- 
ner. As  the  fresh  and  grateful  air  of  the  river  fanned 
my  brow,  moist  from  the  unwonted  occupation  in  which  I 
was  engaged,  a  thought  occurred  to  me  that  it  was  now 
my  time  to  smile ;  that  Joe  was  getting  the  worst  of  it, 
and  that  I  should  not  be  compelled  to  make  my  debut 
with  an  axe  for  that  day  at  least. 

The  pork  was  at  last  fried  to  a  turn,  and  safely  depo- 
sited in  an  old  tin  pan  that  served  us  for  table,  dishes, 
and  all ;  a  batter  of  corn  meal  and  water  had  taken  the 
pork's  place  in  the  frying-pan,  and  was  converted  into  very 
respectable  something — I  cannot  stop  to  invent  a  name  ; 
the  delicious  aroma  of  coffee  filled  the  air  with  fragrance, 
and  the  nicely  roasted  sweet  potatoes  were  prepared  for 
the  table  in  imitation  of  the  celebrated  roots  of  Marion  ; 
all  was  ready,  and  this  time  Joe  did  not  scorn  my  cry. 
4 


V4  THE   RIVER    CAMP. 

Reader,  did  you  ever  eat  a  dinner  in  the  wild  woods? 
I  do  not  mean  one  of  those  miserable  counterfeits  known 
as  "  pic-nics,"  consisting  of  city  delicacies  for  sated  appe- 
tites, but  a  true,  rude,  yet  appetizing  meal,  far  away  from 
the  demoralizing  influence  of  French  cookery,  and  served 
up  with  the  most  potent  of  sauces — a  genuine  woodsman's 
unaffected  hunger.  If  you  have,  you  would  have  given  a 
month  of  Delmonico's  delicacies  for  a  few  minutes'  chance 
at  the  rude  but  cheerful  board,  although  the  said  board 
was  but  a  tin  pan  after  all. 

A  hearty  drink  of  cool  and  excellent  water  from  the 
river  beneath  us,  and  two  stone  pipes,  with  handles  of 
young  cane,  were  produced  from  our  respective  pockets, 
and  soon  in  full  operation. 

The  serious  business  of  discussing  dinner  and  a  dessert 
of  pipe-smoke  being  duly  concluded,  I  thought  it  time  to 
descend  to  more  trivial  matters,  and  inquire  of  Joe  if  the 
work  went  bravely  on. 

"  Well,  Joe,"  said  I,  "  from  the  style  of  attack  you  have 
kept  up  on  that  unfortunate  tree,  I  reckon  you  don't  need 
much  of  my  help  to  get  it  down." 

"Don't,  eh?"  replied  Joe.  "Well,  if  you  allow  that  I 
can  lay  out  a  cypress  four  feet  thick  as  high  up  as  I  can 
chop,  in  half  an  hour,  you  must  put  me  up  as  some  punkins. 
No,  sir,  thar's  a  good  hour's  work  for  both,  and  we'd  bet- 
ter be  at  it." 

So  at  it  we  went,  and  after  due  time,  the  outlay  of  much 
misapplied  exertion,  and  at  the  expense  of  a  pair  of 
severely  blistered  hands  upon  my  part,  down  came  the 
huge  tree  with  a  thundering  crash,  frightening  many  a 
bird  and  beast,  to  say  nothing  of  the  prodigious  alarm  it 
must  have  caused  among  the  large  fraternity  of  snakes 


OUE   SHED-OVEK — A   "  CHEF    D?(EUVRE."  75 

that  inhabited  the  brake,  and  that  probably  took  the 
unusual  noise  and  commotion  for  little  less  than  an  earth- 
quake. 

Actively  plying  now  the  cross-cut  saw,  we  severed  from 
the  trunk  a  proper  log  for  the  construction  of  our  boat,  and 
then  took  off  several  blocks,  wherewith  to  manufacture  the 
requisite  covering  for  our  rustic  mansion.  We  rolled  the 
latter  to  our  camp,  and  soon  split  them  in  parts  ready  for  the 
riving  iron  or  "  frow,"  and  then  procured  ten  crotches  of 
proper  length,  and  fixed  them  firmly  in  their  places.  The 
two  centre  sticks  were  longer  than  the  rest ;  in  front  of 
these  we  placed  four  in  pairs  opposite  each  other,  while 
for  the  rear  support,  we  cut  them  much  shorter,  allowing 
the  last  pair  to  project  but  little  from  the  ground.  We 
then  cut  stout  straight  poles,  and  placed  them  in  the 
crotches,  and  across  these  again  a  quantity  of  green  cane 
from  the  adjacent  brake  to  form  our  roof  timbers. 

Half  an  hour.'s  work  now  furnished  us  with  a  supply  of 
boards,  as  undressed  shingles  are  called,  and  beheld  our 
house  completed  and  ready  to  receive  us  before  night.  Of 
course  this,  like  all  other  new  buildings,  required  some 
additions  and  alterations  ;  for  instance,  on  the  north  side 
we  afterwards  appended  a  shed,  which  sloped  to  the 
ground,  had  a  large  hole  in  the  roof,  and  answered  as  a 
kitchen  in  wet  weather.  This  and  one  or  two  minor 
improvements  completed  a  hut  that  perhaps  would  not 
have  been  much  protection  from  the  severities  of  a  more 
northern  climate,  but  was  just  the  thing  for  us,  and  per- 
fectly ^weather-proof  as  far  as  rain  was  concerned. 

Immediately  "opposite,  grew  a  great  number  of  fine 
cypress  trees,  which  we  felled  as  we  needed,  and  found 
but  little  difficulty  in  getting  the  raw  material  to  our 


76  THE   RIVER    CAMP. 

camp.  Cut  in  proper  lengths,  we  rolled  them  down  and 
floated  them  over,  to  be  piled  up  in  front  of  our  work- 
shop. 

In  the  beginning,  we  made  a  few  experiments  at  shingle- 
making  in  the  "  timber,"  but  soon  found  that  it  would  not 
pay,  for  the  musquitoes,  that  did  not  at  all  affect  our  hard 
sand  beach,  swarmed  in  countless  myriads  in  the  swamp, 
and  could  only  be  kept  at  a  respectable  distance  by  build- 
ing fires  about  us  and  working  in  an  atmosphere  of  smoke. 
We  therefore  deemed  it  advisable  to  do  our  finishing 
work  in  the  camp  above,  and  soon  a  noble  pile  of  shingles 
arose  behind  it — witnesses  of  our  industry. 

Joe  estimated  their  number  every  night,  and  calculated 
to  a  fraction — something  in  the  style  of  the  milkmaid  in 
the  spelling-book — the  exact  amount  of  necessaries  and 
luxuries  into  which  they  could  be  converted  when  once 
boated  and  rafted  to  Galveston. 

It  may  seem  strange  that  Joe,  owning  as  he  did  a  fine 
herd  of  cattle  and  a  sufficient  clearing,  should  resort  to 
labor  which  was  evidently  not  homogeneous  to  his  disposi- 
tion, in  order  to  procure  a  little  money,  or  a  few  pounds 
of  coffee  or  tobacco,  powder  or  lead. 

As  is  the  case  with  all  new  countries,  there  was  no  cur- 
rency ;  literally,  no  money.  The  republic  has  been  flooded 
with  countless  government  bills,  some  of  them  issued  and 
passed  at  seven  dollars  for  one,  and  at  the  time  of  which  I 
write,  not  of  the  slightest  use,  except,  perhaps,  to  light 
a  pipe  with. 

Among  the  limited  number  of  planters  that  then  raised 
cotton,  a  little  money  was  sometimes  to  be  found,  if  their 
store  bill  did  not  overrun  their  crops  ;  but  with  the  stock- 
raisers  who  occupied  all  the  prairie-coast  country,  not  one 


LOCOMOTIVE   CURRENCY.  77 

in  ten  could  boast  of  a  dollar.  Their  circulating  medium 
possessed  locomotive  powers,  and  circulated  upon  its  own 
legs.  It  consisted  simply  and  solely  of  cows  and  calves. 
"We  have  all  heard  of  riches  taking  wings  to  themselves  and 
flying  away.  Their  wealth  often  walked  off  upon  four  feet, 
and  when  most  needed,  was  very  apt  to  turn  up  missing. 

A  cow  and  calf  always  passed  current  as  ten  dollars,  and 
BO  was  it  understood  in  all  transactions.  If  a  man  were 
asked  the  price  of  his  horse  and  he  should  reply  "  Fifty 
dollars,"  he  would  mean  five  cows  and  calves,  and  nothing 
else.  A  note  for  so  many  dollars  implied  only  a  certain 
number  of  quadrupeds,  and  unless  a  money  form  of  pay- 
ment had  been  particularly  specified,  it  could  not  be  col- 
lected even  by  law. 

Now,  cows  and  calves  are  very  useful  things  in  their 
way — when  not  in  your  way.  They  look  very  pretty  upon 
a  green  prairie,  and  appear  to  great  advantage,  if  skilfully 
depicted,  in  a  fair  landscape  ;  they  are  also  indispensable 
necessities  in  the  milk,  butter,  and  cheese  department ;  but 
when  it  comes  to  travelling  about  with  a  dozen  or  so  in 
one's  pocket,  and  shelling  out  a  calf  for  a  pair  of  shoes,  or 
asking  a  man  to  take  his  change  out  of  a  cow  for  a  tavern 
bill,  the  thing  is  quite  preposterous. 

The  man  who  has  to  travel  fifty  miles  to  procure  his 
little  luxuries,  would  be  puzzled  to  drive  a  few  cattle  every 
time  he  went ;  nothing  but  a  large  herd  could  be  driven, 
and  then,  with  a  number  of  men,  it  would  be  slow  business. 
More  than  all,  the  merchants  would  not  acknowledge  the 
currency  as  legal  tender,  or  receive  anything  in  payment 
for  their  high-priced  articles,  but  what  they  could  turn 
into  money,  wherewith  to  pay  their  debts,  and  refill  their 
exhausted  shelves  and  empty  barrels. 


78  .  THE   RIVER   CAMP. 

It  therefore  must  appear  to  the  most  careless  observer, 
that  although  there  was  no  want  of  this  kind  of  stock  in 
the  land,  yet  it  could  scarcely  be  ranked  among  the  "  con- 
vertibles." 

There  was,  to  be  sure,  a  business  house  at  Brazoria  that 
issued  small  bills,  from  twelve  and  a  half  cents  upwards  ; 
there  was  also  another  at  Galveston  ;  and  again,  the 
Government  had  put  forth  a  few  exchange  notes  that  were 
at  par,  but  all  of  them — small  enough  in  the  aggre- 
gate— could  only  be  obtained  by  money  itself,  or  its  equi- 
valent. 

Congress  indeed  undertook  to  legislate  the  difficulty  out 
of  existence  in  their  own  peculiar  way.  A  bill  was  intro- 
duced to  establish  a  Government  Bank,  which  was  to  loan 
money  upon  all  fields  of  growing  cotton.  Had  this  plan 
succeeded,  it  is  probable  that  each  legislator  would  have 
abandoned  his  post  almost  instanter,  rushed  home,  set  to 
work  every  negro  that  he  could  hire  or  purchase  upon 
credit,  and,  having  planted  as  many  acres  as  possible, 
have  posted  up  to  the  bank  immediately  for  his  share  of 
the  spoils. 

The  bill  was  in  direct  violation  of  the  Constitution, 
which  prohibits  banks  in  toto,  and  as  the  Congress  was  then 
in  session  at  Houston,  where  a  mercantile  community  might 
have  rewarded  so  high-handed  a  piece  of  business  on  the 
spot,  and  even  upon  the  honorable  person  of  the  projector, 
it  was  deemed  advisable  to  discuss  the  matter  in  secret 
session  and  with  closed  doors. 

One  of  the  Senators,  however,  who  either  had  too  much 
liquor  in  his  head,  or  honesty  in  his  heart,  to  keep  the 
secret,  left  the  State-house  and  addfessed  the  people  upon 
the  subject.  Congress  deprived  him  of  his  seat  and  dis- 


HONEST   BOB   VICTORIOUS.  79 

missed  him  from  the  Senate,  but  a  new  election  being  held 
immediately,  he  was  reinstated  ;  carried  by  acclamation, 
and  absolutely  borne  upon  the  shoulders  of  his  friends,  he 
was  ushered  into  the  Senate  accompanied  by  a  shouting 
crowd. 

Congress  took  the  hint,  and  neither  prosecuted  the  bill 
nor  persecuted  their  Senator  any  further. 

The  hero  of  this  event  was  known — and  is  yet,  if  he  be 
alive — as  Honest  Bob,  and  upon  the  strength  of  this  title 
ran  for  the  Presidency,  and  received,  I  believe — one  vote. 

The  hides  of  slaughtered  beeves — and  they  amounted  to 
a  goodly  number  in  the  course  of  a  year,  for  economy  of 
meat  is  by  no  means  one  of  the  stock-raiser's  virtues — 
were  cash  articles  ;  these,  with  a  few  hard  and  miserable 
cheeses,  were  all  that  a  very  large  class  of  settlers  had  to 
depend  upon,  to  secure  those  articles  which  they  were 
forced  to  buy. 

A  family  of  genuine  Down-Easters,  that  had  settled  some 
twenty  miles  below,  had  tried  their  hands  at  shingle- 
making,  and  succeeded  very  well  in  a  small  way.  They 
rafted  their  "  plunder"  some  fifty  miles  down  the  river,  and 
then  shipped  it  upon  trading  vessels  bound  for  Galveston, 
where  it  was  disposed  of  at  large  prices.  Joe,  however, 
as  I  have  previously  stated,  had  other  and  more  extended 
ideas.  Having  chanced  to  light  upon  the  price  of  white 
oak  staves  in  some  old  newspaper,  he  determined,  as  soon 
as  a  few  dollars  could  be  realized,  to  pave  the  way,  that  he 
would  engage  a  large  gang  of  hands  and  slaughter  the  old 
oaks  .without  stay  or  remorse. 

Well,  go  thy  ways,  Joe,  for  despite  a  crotchety  brain, 
an  unsteadiness  of  purpose,  and  a  determined  grasping  after 
some  ideal  mode  of  easily  acquiring  wealth,  a  truer, 


80  THE   RIVER   CAMP. 

more  kindly,  and  more  honest  heart  never  beat  in  manly 
bosom. 

One  great  impediment  to  the  successful  prosecution  of 
our  business  was  the  difficulty  we  experienced  in  keeping  a 
supply  of  food  on  hand.  Joe  was  for  no  half  rations  ;  and 
the  inexorable  demand  of  an  appetite,  occasioned  by  our 
mode  of  life,  made  such  severe  requisitions  upon  our  larder, 
that  it  required  replenishing  every  week,  and  the  exodus 
from,  and  return  to,  our  forest  home  was  rather  a 
serious  matter,  generally — with  the  time  occupied  in 
preparing  provisions  and  seeing  to  home  wants — wast- 
ing two  days. 

Joe  was  an  early  riser  ;  the  sun  never  found  him  repos- 
ing upon  the  pile  of  shavings  that  formed  his  humble 
couch.  I,  however,  could  not  so  soon  shake  off  my  city- 
acquired  bad  habits,  and  so  all  the  drudgery  of  making 
fire  and  preparing  breakfast  fell  to  the  share  of  my  compa- 
nion. 

One  morning,  as  we  were  wending  our  way  to  the 
swamp,  Joe  stopped,  and  directed  my  attention  to  a  small 
pile  of  half  decayed  twigs  of  the  white  birch.  Upon  its 
outer  edge,  and  within  a  circumference  no  larger  than  the 
head  of  a  hogshead,  were  coiled  up  five  venomous- 
snakes,  who  had  not  yet  aroused  themselves  and  shaken 
off  the  torpor  occasioned  by  the  chill  of  night.  Exactly 
in  the  centre  was  the  mark  of  one  of  Joe's  bare 
feet,  where  it  had  crushed  through  the  rotten  wood  and 
made  its  print  in  the  sand  without  alarming  the  sleepers. 

We  made  short  work  with  them,  and  ever  after  Joe  took 
the  precaution  of  booting  himself  before  making  any  more 
early  excursions. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

STORIES   BY   THE    CAMP   FIRE. 

OUR  nights  by  the  camp  fire  were  hours  long  to  be  remem- 
bered. Joe  was  a  capital  story-teller  ;  he  believed  tho- 
roughly in  all  the  marvels  that  he  narrated,  while  very 
common  and  ordinary  events  in  the  great  world  would 
appear  to  him  incredible  indeed.  It  was  with  him  a  realiza- 
tion of  the  story  touching  the  old  lady,  her  sailor  son,  and 
Pharaoh's  chariot  wheels. 

Lafitte  and  his  piracies  formed  the  great  staple  of  his 
conversation  ;  and,  stretched  at  full  length  before  the  blaz- 
ing logs,  I  have  listened  for  hours,  to  his  wonderful 
accounts,  as  much  interested  in  the  man  and  his  stories,  as 
ever  the  Caliph  of  the  Arabian  Nights  was  in  his  wife's 
narrations. 

Joe  knew  where  a  vast  sum  of  Lafitte's  money  was 
buried.  He  had  had  the  very  spot,  nay  the  identical  tree, 
so  accurately  described  to  him,  that  there  could  not  be  the 
least  doubt  of  his  obtaining  the  treasure,  if  he  could  but 
find  a  proper  assistant  to  accompany  him.  Not  deeming 
that  Joe  will  be  a  loser  by  any  breach  of  confidence  upon 
my  part,  I  will  impart  the  great  secret  to  my  readers. 

A  few  miles  inland  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  con- 
nected with  it  by  a  narrow  outlet,  is  a  large  strange  lake, 
unfrequented  and  almost  unexplored  by  man.  It  is  known 
as  Lake  Mermentou,  and  receives  into  its  sluggish  bosom 
the  waters  of  a  filthy  bayou,  as  muddy  as  itself. 
4* 


82  STOEIES   BY   THE   CAMP   FIRE. 

In  the  very  centre  of  this  lake — and  it  is  large  enough 
to  appear  to  good  advantage  upon  our  maps — is  a  solitary 
island,  and  upon  the  centre  of  the  solitary  island  grows  a 
solitary  tree.  The  tree  is  a  peccan  tree,  and  the  island  is 
-Peccan  Island,  and  upon  the  island,  and  immediately 
,imderneath  this  tree,  is  deposited — according  to  Joe's 
belief — a  mint  of  money. 

It  was  hidden  there  by  the  pirate  himself,  who  ascended 
the  lake  in  a  small  boat,  containing  a  chest  of  gold  and 
gems,  and  manned  by  one  person  besides  himself.  They 
dug  a  deep  pit  beneath  the  solitary  tree,  and  with  many 
heathenish  and  blasphemous  ceremonies,  in  which  the 
devil  is  supposed  to  have  borne  a  prominent  part,  depo- 
sited the  treasure.  Before  filling  up  the  pit,  the  pirate 
chief  performed  one  ceremony  more,  which  his  aid  had 
not  calculated  upon,  and  which  was  neither  to  be  found 
upon  the  bills,  nor  included  in  the  general  orders  for  the 
day,  but  was  probably  suggested  impromptu  to  Lafitte  by 
Old  Nick,  who  is  supposed  to  have  stood  at  his  elbow  aid- 
ing and  abetting. 

When  the  heavy  chest  had  been  lowered  down  to  its 
abiding  place,  Lafitte  ordered  his  mortal  assistant  to 
jump  down  also,  and  stuff  a  quantity  of  canvas  and 
oakum  about  the  strong  box,  to  protect  it,  it  may  be,  from 
the  dampness  of  the  ground.  When  this  duty  had  been  care- 
fully performed,  as  the  man  arose  and  his  head  appeared 
once  more  above  the  surface,  Lafitte,  clapping  a  pistol  to 
it,  pulled  trigger,  blowing  out  what  few  brains  were  in  it? 
thus  binding  the  owner  to  keep  the  peace  and  the  secret 
for  all  time  in  a  most  effectual  manner,  and  also  filling  up 
the  cavity  in  an  expeditious  and  an  economical  way. 

The  man,  of  course,  could  not  get  out,  but,  according  to 


THE   SECRET    BETRAYED.  83 

the  old  saw,  the  murder  and  the  secret  did.  Lafitte's 
tender  conscience  smote  him  so  severely,  that,  while 
immersed  in  the  slumbers  of  midnight,  he  gave  a  long  and 
most  particular  account  of  the  place  and  the  transaction, 
and  the  thirsty  ears  of  an  old  salt  drank  in  the  whole 
quite  greedily.  Nay,  so  scurvily  did  Somnus  serve  the 
sleeper,  that  he  even  divulged  where  lay  snugly  concealed 
a  map  of  the  lake,  and  also  a  paper  containing  directions 
as  to  the  ceremony  to  be  performed  in  disinterring  the 
money. 

These  valuable  and  authentic  documents  the  old  scamp 
purloined,  and  had  actually  exhibited  them  to  Joe.  He 
also  offered  his  services  to  Joe  to  accompany  him  and  con- 
duct the  search  ;  but  the  latter,  although  fully  possessed  of 
the  existence  of  the  treasure,  strange  to  say,  entertained 
some  doubts  of  honesty  of  purpose  on  the  old  sailor's  part, 
and  fearing  to  incur  a  fate  similar  to  that  of  Lafitte's  con- 
fidant, declined  the  transaction. 

Some  time  after,  the  sailor  found  a  man  who  was  willing 
to  risk  one  of  his  negroes  for  a  share  in  the  spoils,  and 
who  furnished  a  small  sum  of  money  by  way  of  outfit. 
The  pair  started  upon  their  excursion,  but  were  never 
after  heard  of,  and  Joe  entertained  no  doubt  but  that  the 
devil  had  caught  them  in  the  very  act,  and  without  a  Bible 
to  defend  themselves  with.  I  suggested  the  possibility  of 
the  sailor's  using  the  money  to  run  off  the  slave,  and  after- 
wards to  dispose  of  him,  but  Joe  scouted  the  idea. 

There  was  perhaps  some  foundation  for  Joe's  piratical 
legend.  Lafitte,  who  for  many  years  had  levied  upon  all 
flags  but  that  of  our  country,  had  absolutely  undisputed 
possession  of  the  numerous  bayous  that,  straggling  off 
from  the  lower  Mississippi,  wind  in  every  direction 


84  STORIES   BY   THE   CAMP   FIRE. 

through  southwestern  Louisiana,  and  after  forming  a 
labyrinth  of  swamps,  lakes,  and  streams,  finally  find  their 
way  to  the  gulf.  These  were  the  avenues  up  which  the 
pirate  chief  transported  his  plunder,  and  disposed  of  it  to 
the  settlers  living  upon  or  near  to  the  streams,  and  many 
fortunes  were  made  by  this  nefarious  commerce. 

Great  quantities  of  various  descriptions  of  merchandise 
found  their  way  to  New  Orleans  by  the  Mississippi,  and 
were  sold  without  question,  if  not  without  suspicion.  So 
many  persons  had  been  engaged  in  this  illegal  traffic  that 
they,  with  the  refugees,  at  one  time  endeavored  to  stir  up 
the  state  to  an  active  resistance  to  the  transfer  of  the 
country  to  the  United  States,  and  an  ill  feeling  was 
engendered  among  the  French  that  has  not  yet  entirely 
subsided. 

On  the  western  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  about  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  miles  above  New  Orleans,  stands  the  little 
town  of  Plaquemine,  which  consists  of  a  tavern,  a  ware- 
house, a  store,  and  perhaps  three  or  four  more  buildings. 
It  is  known  from  its  race-track,  where  twice  each  year  a 
few  petty  races  are  run ;  and  from  its  situation  at  the 
mouth  of  the  very  troublesome  bayou  Plaquemine,  the  key 
to  all  the  great  body  of  waters  that  wind  through  a  large 
portion  of  western  Louisiana.  The  water  rushes  in 
this  aperture  with  great  velocity,  so  great  indeed  that 
steamers  descending  the  bayou  are  forced  to  run  a  number 
of  miles  stern  foremost,  and  working  against  the  stream 
with  half  a  head  of  steam. 

After  retrograding  down  the  bayou  in  this  manner  for 
nine  miles,  they  arrive  at  the  "  Devil's  Elbow  ;"  and  here, 
with  their  bows  tied  to  the  shore,  the  stern  is  hauled 
around  by  a  hawser  ;  and,  then  descending  some  six  miles 


A    DAMP   CLIMATE.  85 

further  "  with  a  perfect  rush,"  enter  Grand  Riviere,  a  huge 
lake-like  body  of  water,  doubtless  once  the  old  bed  of  the 
Mississippi,  from  four  to  six  miles  in  width,  and  which 
connects  with  Bayou  Atchafalaya,  and  a  number  of  smaller 
streams. 

Steaming  for  some  40  miles  through  Grand  River  the 
mouth  of  Bayou  C  our  tableau  is  reached.  So  narrow  is 
this  stream,  that  the  tops  of  the  old  forest  trees  arch  over 
it,  and  its  navigation  must  be  puzzling  indeed  to  a  tyro. 
From  its  conflux  with  Grand  River  to  the  head  of  naviga- 
tion, it  runs  through  one  immense  forest  or  swamp,  almost 
always  under  water,  without  a  clearing  or  other  sign  of 
the  presence  of  man,  than  two  or  three  wood-piles  and  as 
many  wood-cutters'  shanties,  elevated  upon  piles,  each  door 
adorned  by  a  boat — the  only  means  of  locomotion  from  the 
hut  to  the  wood-yard  for  half  the  year.  During  the  dry 
months  the  "  pile"  is  recruited. 

At  last,  wearied  to  death  with  the  gloomy  and  mono- 
tonous scenery,  you  emerge  from  the  dark  forest,  and  the 
little  town  of  "  Lafayette,"  the  beginning  of  the  prairie 
country,  and  the  port  of  "  Opelousas,"  a  place  of  some  im- 
portance^is  before  you. 

Here  was  one  of  Lafitte's  trading  stations,  and  the  scene 
of  one  of  Joe's  most  approved  legends,  in  which  I  took  an 
especial  interest  from  my  personal  knowledge  of  the  locali- 
ty, and  acquaintance  with  one  of  the  actors. 

Opelousas,  the  shire  town  of  the  parish  of  St.  Landry, 
had — and  I  believe  yet  has — one  inhabitant  who  is 
regarded  with  universal  and  superstitious  awe  by  the 
others.  She  was  a  negress,  a  native  of  St.  Domingo,  a  per- 
son doubtless  of  infinite  cunning,  and  of  education  far  supe- 
rior to  that  of  many  of  the  whites  among  whom  she  lived. 


86  STORIES   BY   THE    CAMP   FIRE. 

Her  name  I  have  forgotten,  but  have  had,  years  since, 
the  honor  of  a  personal  interview  with  her.  In  fact,. hav- 
ing need  of,  I  engaged  her  services,  not  with  any  satanic 
or  diabolical  intent,  but  simply  to  get  up  my  linen,  and 
must  say  that  she  proved  to  be  a  very  superior  person  for 
her  line  of  life  and  color,  and  also  a  most  unexceptionable 
blanchisseuse.  She  appeared  then  to  have  been  about  forty 
years  of  age,  but  the  Opelousans  insisted  upon  it  that  she 
had  seen  twice  as  many  summers. 

This  woman  could,  according  to  universal  report,  pene- 
trate the  walls  of  any  prison  and  rescue  its  inmates,  and  it 
was  generally  believed  that  she  had  contrived  a  plan  to 
carry  off  Xapoleon  from  the  English,  and  that  it  was  only 
prevented  by  his  death. 

Ridiculous  as  this  may  seem,  I  have  conversed  with 
many  who  had  placed  implicit  faith  in  it,  and  professed  to 
the  having  been  personally  cognizant  of  her  frequent  inter- 
views with  agents  from  France.  It  is  much  more  proba- 
ble that  they  were  agents  of  Lafitte,  with  whose  affairs  she 
evidently  had  much  to  do.  Over  the  negroes  she  posseted 
unlimited  power,  and  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  by  the 
exercise  of  cunning,  address,  and  a  little  gold,  she  has 
effected  the  escape  of  more  than  one  criminal.  One  case 
in  particular  occurs  to  me.  A  wealthy  planter  lay  confined 
in  prison  under  sentence  of  death,  for  the  crime  of  murder. 
At  that  time  the  cholera  was  raging,  and  it  was  soon  re- 
ported that  the  condemned  man  had  fallen  a  victim  to  the 
disease.  Those  who  saw  the  corpse  professed  themselves 
satisfied  with  its  identity,  but  few  indeed  had  enough  of 
courage  and  curiosity  combined,  to  venture  upon  the 
spectacle. 

A  year  or  two  after  the  planter's  supposed  death,  it  was 


THE   BITTER   CUESE.  87 

reported  that  lie  had  been  seen  by  several  who  knew 
him.  They  had  met  him  upon  the  upper  Mississippi.  Of 
course  the  negress  received  the  credit  of  the  affair,  and  it 
is  not  impossible  but  she  might  have  either  substituted 
a  corpse  for  him,  with  the  connivance  of  the  jailor,  or  else 
produced  a  counterfeit  presentment  of  death  upon  his  part, 
sufficient  to  deceive  those  who  were  paid  to  be  deceived. 
It  is  certain  that  the  body  was  given  up  immediately  to 
his  family. 

According  to  Joe,  a  certain  Frenchman  had  acquired  an 
immense  fortune  by  his  transactions  with  Lafitte.  One 
day,  among  a  certain  number  of  bales  received  by  him,  was 
one  which  bore  the  mark  of  a  bloody  female  hand. 

This  the  negress  happened  to  see,  and  for  some  unknown 
reason,  it  excited  her  utmost  ire.  Whether  it  was  that 
she  was  really  tender-hearted  after  all,  and  had  issued  her 
commands  against  the  shedding  of  blood,  or  whether  she 
entertained  a  private  pique  against  the  merchant,  is  not 
known  ;  but  upon  seeing  the  bloody  impress  on  the  bale, 
she  knelt  down  with  bare  head,  a  midday  sun  beating 
down  upon  it,  and  cursed  the  recipient  of  evil  gains  with 
a  most  bitter  curse.  She  cursed  him,  and  prayed  in  an 
awful  manner  that  the  lightning  might  at  a  stroke  blast 
all  of  his  ill-gained  wealth. 

As  his  possessions  were  somewhat  widely  scattered, 
the  merchant  felt  inclined  to  scoff  at  her  curses,  and 
indulged  in  the  idea  that  it  would  be  somewhat  dif- 
ficult for  one  thunderbolt  to  destroy  all  of  his  for- 
tune« 

Years  rolled  on,  and  the  trader  settled  down  into 
a  merchant,  forgot  the  prediction,  and  built  an  immense 
store  and  warehouse  upon  the  banks  of  the  bayou,  and 


88  STORIES   BY  THE    CAMP   FIRE. 

on  the  very  spot  where  lay  the  bloody  bale,  and  where 
knelt  the.  negress. 

His  buildings  were  just  completed,  the  warehouse  was 
filled  with  cotton  that  he  had  purchased,  and  the  store 
groaned  under  the  weight  of  the  largest  stock  of  goods 
ever  brought  to  the  prairie.  The  last  blow  of  the 
carpenter's  hammer  was  struck  upon  the  building,  and 
the  last  case  of  goods  from  the  steamboat  before  the 
door,  had  been  rolled  in.  It  was  just  noon,  the  sky 
clear  and  without  a  cloud,  and  the  owner,  his  friends, 
and  the  workmen,  were  sitting  down  to  partake  of  a 
little  dinner,  expressly  got  up  to  "  warm  the  store," 
when  a  deafening  noise  was  heard,  and  in  a  few  moments 
store  and  warehouse  were  on  fire  in  every  part.  Every 
effort  to  subdue  the  flames  was  unavailing,  and  the  owner 
was  reduced  by  one  blow  from  wealth  to  bankruptcy. 

Joe  said  it  was  evident  that  the  lightning  did  not  come 
from  heaven,  but  quite  the  reverse,  and  argued  therefrom, 
that  the  negress  had  power  only  over  the  things  below. 

Time  wore  on,  our  pile  of  shingles  began  to  assume 
quite  an  imposing  aspect,  and  there  is  no  telling  how  much 
we  might  have  obtained  for  them,  but  that,  just  as  we  had 
almost  completed  as  many  as  we  had  intended  to  raft,  for 
our  first  essay,  the  near  approach  of  a  most  important  day 
— the  wedding  day  of  one  of  Joe's  sisters — called  us  from 
pursuits  in  the  green  woods  to  a  frolic  at  home. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A  WEDDING   AND    A   WOLF-HUNT. 

A  NEW  phase  of  frontier  life  and  a  scamper  across  the 
prairie  on  a  half  wild  Spanish  horse  at  break-neck  speed, 
were  quite  welcome  after  our  toil,  and  far  more  congenial 
to  my  feelings  than  felling  trees,  handling  cross-cuts,  roll- 
ing blocks,  or  even  such  a  night-hunt  as  Joe  had  intro- 
duced me  to. 

This  was  the  first  scene  of  the  kind  that  I  had  ever  wit- 
nessed ;  it  occurred  in  the  days  of  my  freshest  verdure, 
and  I  enjoyed  it  to  the  fullest  extent. 

Here  let  me  drop  a  word  of  advice,  en  passant,  to  any 
and  every  one  who  may  try  his  fortune  in  a  new  coun- 
try. Do  not  pretend  to  any  knowledge  that  you  do  not 
possess.  If  everything  appears  new,  and  queer,  and 
strange,  say  so.  Ask  as  many  questions  as  you  please  ; 
the  more  the  better.  You  will  find  the  backwoodsman 
not  only  willing,  but  happy  to  impart  any  information 
in  his  power,  and  he  will  take  pleasure  in  showing  you 
everything  that  may  amuse  and  astonish  you ;  but  for 
the  man  who  would  play  the  Indian,  and  refuse  an  expres- 
sion of  either  surprise  or  pleasure,  small  pains  will  be 
•bestowed  upon  his  edification. 

Some  years  since  the  Hough  family  resided  in  Louisiana, 
but  finding  the  range  for  their  cattle  becoming  every  year 
worse,  one  of  the  sons-^our  friend  Joe — set  forth  as  a 
pioneer  to  explore,  and  locate  himself  upon  the  more  fertile 


90  A  WEDDING  AND    A   WOLF-HUXT. 

plains  of  Texas,  taking  with  him  his  wife  and  children. 
Here,  in  the  days  of  the  patriarchs,  he  would  have  pitched 
his  tent,  but  having  no  tent  to  pitch,  or  no  taste  for  a  life 
in  tents,  or  being  intent  upon  a  more  permanent  mansion, 
he  set  to  work,  and  with  the  friendly  assistance  of  a  few 
near  neighbors,  living  not  more  than  fifteen  or  twenty 
miles  distant,  put  up  a  log  cabin.  A  sturdy  arm,  a  sharp 
axe,  and  a  willing  heart,  require  but  few  days  to  furnish 
the  backwoodsman  with  a  secure  shelter.  Joe  had 
travelled  in  a  covered  wagon,  which  contained  his  small 
family,  and  small  stock  of  furniture — the  latter  pro- 
bably consisting  of  an  old  chest  containing  the  family 
wardrobe,  a  coffee-pot,  a  few  tin  cups,  a  steel  mill  to  grind 
his  corn,  a  skillet  to  bake  his  bread  in,  with  a  few  spoons, 
knives,  forks,  pans,  and  pails. 

His  farming  utensils  were  even  fewer  in  number — a 
plough,  an  axe,  and  hoe,  perhaps — nothing  else.  As  for 
provisions,  a  supply  of  coffee  and  tobacco  was  indispensa- 
ble ;  for  everything  else,  except  a  little  meal  for  immedi- 
ate use,  he  relied  upon  his  stock  of  cattle,  to  sell  or 
to  kill.  Having  completed  his  cabin,  he  now  made  a 
small  clearing  in  the  adjoining  woods  where  to  raise  the 
corn  for  his  family's  bread.  The  next  year  his  brother 
came  out ;  the  two  lived  and  prospered.  Their  cattle  grew 
in  numbers.  Before  long,  rumors  of  the  fatness  of  the 
land  reached  the  ears  of  the  other  members  of  the  family, 
and  out  they  trooped — men,  women,  children,  and  negroes, 
horses  and  cattle,  until  Joe  began  to  imagine  the  popula- 
tion too  dense  for  health  and  comfort.  In  fact,  he  ci  mi- 
plained  bitterly  to  me,  and  expressed  a  determination  of 
moving  further,  where  he  would  have  room  to  breathe, 
and  the  women  could  not  quarrel  about  their  chickens. 


A   WET   BRIDEGROOM.  91 

This  settlement,  whose  density  of  population  distressed 
our  friend  Joe  so  much,  consisted  at  this  time  of  live 
families,  and  not  over  forty  individuals  of  all  hues,  ages, 
and  sexes.  Cupid  had  found  his  way  into  the  wilds,  and 
tempted  a  young  man  to  commit  matrimony  with  one  of 
the  daughters  of  the  family  after  a  very  curt  court- 
ship, which  was  perhaps  excusable,  as  the  lover  had  to 
ride  fifty  miles  every  time  he  would  visit  his  inamorata. 
Unfortunately  for  all  who  anticipated  the  fun  and  frolic 
usually  incident  to  such  affairs,  death  had  been  busy  in  the 
family  but  a  short  time  previous,  having  with  his  remorse- 
less scythe  clipped  off  its  head — and  in  consequence  banjo 
and  fiddle  were  tabooed,  and  dancing  decidedly  vetoed. 
On  the  wedding  morning,  the  rain  fell  as  it  only  falls  in 
Texas,  and  the  happy  man,  arriving  drenched  to  the  skin, 
was  obliged  to  change  his  dress  before  he  did  his  condi- 
tion. However,  as  he  had  ridden  in  homespun,  and  pre- 
served his  best  suit  in  his  saddle-bags  intact,  he  soon 
made  his  appearance  decidedly  renovated.  If  there  was 
no  dancing,  there  was  plenty  of  feasting.  The  Houston 
stores  had  been  laid  under  contribution,  a  host  of  fat 
things  were  spread  before  the  assembled  guests,  and 
although  I  cannot  affirm,  as  it  is  customary  to  do  in  simi- 
lar cases,  that  the  tables  groaned  under  their  unwonted 
burden — since,  according  to  the  very  best  information  I 
have  been  able  to  obtain  upon  the  subject,  tables  never  do 
groan,  but  are  basely  slandered  in  this  respect,  yet  they 
certainly  creaked — and  to  make  up  the  deficiency,  the 
majority  of  the  guests  groaned  in  concert  before  morning. 
The  old  lady  seemed  to  have  taken  an  exact  measure  of 
each  one's  capacity,  and  as  long  as  she  imagined  a  stray 
corner  existed  unoccupied,  so  long  she  continued  to  heap 


92  A  WEDDING   AND   A   WOLF-HUNT. 

her  luxuries  upon  the  unfortunate  proprietor's  plate.  In 
the  evening  songs  and  stories,  nearly  as  broad  as  they 
were  long,  intimately  mixed  with  whiskey  and  water,  cir- 
culated among  us,  and  long  ere  midnight  the  majority 
of  the  males  at  least,  were  in  admirable  condition  for 
bed. 

A  bed  was  prepared — rather  remarkable,  for  its  longi- 
tude, as  it  extended  the  entire  length  of  the  porch,  being 
formed  simply  by  laying  down  a  succession  of  blankets 
and  counterpanes,  with  anything  and  everything  stuck 
under  the  end  for  "  heading" — and  upon  this  the  males 
threw  themselves  down,  each  man  using  his  own  blanket, 
which  no  Texan  travels  without,  for  cover. 

The  next  morning  all  were  astir  betimes',  and  it  certainly 
appeared  to  me  that  had  the  most  of  them  entertained 
even  a  remote  idea  of  the  thirst  they  were  to  experience, 
they  certainly  would  have  taken  a  drop  more  before  retir- 
ing. A  wedding  without  anything  of  a  frolic  connected 
with  it  would  have  been  deemed  a  species  of  sacrilege, 
and  so,  "  faute  de  mieux,"  the  wolf-hunt  was  declared  the 
order  of  the  day. 

Directly  in  front  of  the  house,  at  a  distance  of  four 
miles,  is  an  "  island  of  timber,"  known  as  Lake  Island.  It 
is  one  mile  in  length,  and  through  it  runs  or  stands,  as  the 
case  may  be,  a  narrow,  shallow,  and  muddy  strip  of  water. 
Four  miles  again  beyond  this,  is  another  and  a  smaller 
"  island,"  called  from  its  usual  inhabitants  "  Wolf  Island." 
I  would  here  beg  the  reader  to  remark,  that  in  speaking 
of  "  Islands,"  clusters  of  trees  are  meant  to  be  implied — 
the  same  relative  terms  being  applied  to  prairie  and  wood- 
land as  we  use  in  speaking  of  land  and  water — a  strip  of 
prairie  extending  into  the  woods  is  known  as  a  "  Cove" 


A    MUiiTLll    CF    THE    FORCES.  93 

or  "  Bay,"  while  a  projecting  piece  of  wood  is  called  a 
"  Point" — a  cluster  of  trees,  an  "  Island,"  &c. 

It  appears  that  among  the  innumerable  wolves  that 
ravaged  the  prairie,  one  had  acquired  for  herself  a  very 
unenviable  notoriety,  and  had  been  long  marked  for 
destruction.  Her  size  was  great ;  in  fact,  she  was  repre- 
sented as  being  a  monster  in  her  way.  She  had  had  the 
audacity  to  venture  boldly  into  the  cow-pens,  and  drive 
off  all  the  dogs  of  the  settlement  except  the  old  vete- 
ran, Bose,  with  whom  she  respectfully  declined  mea- 
suring her  strength.  Our  plans  were  easily  arranged, 
the  caviarde  of  horses  driven  into  the  pen,  and  we  were 
soon  very  busy  catching  and  saddling — each  man  paying 
particular  attention  to  the  fastenings  of  his  girth,  in  the 
anticipation  of  a  hard  race  over  a  hog-wallow  prairie. 
Among  the  more  prominent  actors  were  our  friend 
"  Joe,"  his  younger  brother  "  Dave,"  mounted  upon  a  fine 
blooded  animal,  and  the  brother-in-law,  "  Sam,"  who, 
being  almost  as  much  of  a  Johnny  Newcome  as  myself, 
and  considering  himself  "  some  punkins"  in  hunting,  must 
needs  bring  his  rifle  into  the  field,  for  which  he  was  well 
laughed  at.  The  rest  relied  for  offence  and  defence  upon 
their  long  cow  whips — an  implement  consisting  of  a  short 
eighteen  inch  handle,  to  which  a  very  heavy  lash  from 
twelve  to  eighteen  feet  long  is  attached,  and  usually  car- 
ried over  the  shoulder  with  the  lash  trailing  upon  the 
ground — the  "  caberos"  or  hair  rope,  and,  in  cases  of 
emergency,  their  stirrups,  which,  weighing  from  three  to  five 
pounds*;  and  easily  unshipped,  as  a  sailor  would  say,  make 
very  efficient  instruments  of  destruction. 

All  were  ready,  and,  with  a  shout,  off  we  started  at  a 
rattling  pace ;  but  our  ardor  abating,  after  a  burst  of  a 


94  A    WEDDING    AND    A    WOLF-HUXT. 

mile,  we  cooled  down  to  a  steady  trot.  Bearing  to  the 
right  of  Lake'  Island  is  a  "  marais"  almost  impassable  in 
the  wet  season,  but  at  this  time  in  good  order  for  travel- 
ling, and  as  we  dashed  into  its  high  grass  up  started  as 
fine  a  drove  of  deer  as  ever  gladdened  a  hunter's  eye. 
The  sight  was  not  lost  upon  our  friend  Sam,  who,  driving 
his  rowels  into  the  sides  of  his  young  horse,  dashed  off  in 
hot  pursuit.  "  Look  out,  Sam !"  cried  Joe,  "  look  out !  that 
critter  wont  stand  fire — she'll  give  you  fits  directly."  The 
caution  came  too  late  ;  a  shout  of  exultation  from  Sam 
had  brought  a  fine  buck  to  the  right  about,  anxious,  with 
all  the  curiosity  of  his  kind,  to  know  what  in  the  world 
that  unearthly  noise  might  mean  ;  and  ere  he  was  satisfied, 
Sam  was  within  range  ;  in  an  instant,  without  the  least 
check  of  his  horse's  speed,  the  rifle  was  at  his  cheek,  and 
off  went  the  gun,  Sam,  and  deer,  "unanimous,"  as  Mr. 
George  Christy  observes,  "upon  that  last  note."  The 
buck  evidently  had  the  best  of  it.  With  his  flag  raised  in 
triumph,  he  scoured  over  the  prairie,  throwing  himself 
clear  above  the  high  grass  at  every  jump.  The  rifle,  the 
parent  of  all  the  mischief,  lay  reposing  in  quiet  upon  the 
ground,  and  Sam,  well  bruised,  and  almost  stunned,  flat 
upon  his  back,  was  holding  on  to  one  end  of  his  "caberos," 
endeavoring  to  restrain  his  horse,  who,  fastened  to  the 
other,  was  prancing,  snorting,  and  trying  his  best  to  escape 
his  human  anchor.  A  fall  from  a  horse  being  too  trivial  a 
thing  to  occasion  anything  but  a  laugh  at  the  expense  of 
the  fallen,  without  more  ado  we  secured  the  animal,  righted 
the  man,  and  again  bent  our  course  to  the  Island.  On 
arriving  there  I  found  it  to  be  a  cluster  of  trees  cover- 
ing about  two  acres,  with  a  heavy  thicket  of  underbrush — 
and  an  admirable  place  to  shelter  all  kinds  of  "  varmint. 


THE    CHASE   IS    UP.  95 

The  best  mounted  men  were  selected  to  guard  the  Island, 
and  if  the  wolf  or  wolves  should  break  through  our  formi- 
dable pack  of  dogs,  to  cut  them  off  from  taking  shelter  in 
Lake  Island.  Dave  and  myself  were  posted  without  upon 
one  side  ;  we  had  dismounted  for  a  moment  to  tighten  the 
girths,  and  I  was  just  securing  mine,  when  a  shout  from 
him  brought  me  to  saddle  in  an  instant,  and  looking  round 
I  espied  the  identical  wolf  not  more  than  one  hundred 
yards  ahead,  making  the  best  of  her  way  across  the  prairie, 
and  maintaining  a  running  fight  with  "  old  Bose,"  while 
the  rest  of  the  pack  of  hounds  and  curs  were  scouring 
along  after  them  as  near  as  they  might. 

We  gave  chase  immediately.  It  was  just  noon,  on  an 
intensely  hot  day  in  the  first  part  of  September  ;  the 
ground  we  were  riding  over,  of  the  description  known  as 
"  hog- wallow,"  being  a  succession  of .  small  mounds  and 
corresponding  hollows — the  wolf,  gaunt  and  in  fine  run- 
ning order.  In  short,  the  chances  were  against  us  ;  how- 
ever, off  we  dashed,  shouting  like  madmen,  Dave  right  on 
the  trail  of  the  wolf,  and  I  striving  to  head  her  off  from 
Lake  Island. 

It  was  an  animated  scene — the  wolf  right  ahead,  running 
side  by  side  with  "  old  Bose,"  and  gaining  ground  every 
moment ;  the  space  between  us  dotted  with  dogs  of  all 
colors  and  sizes,  and  scattered  from  us  to  the  starting- 
ground,  some  twenty  riders,  every  man  of  them  making 
the  best  possible  use  of  both  lungs  and  spurs. 

Whether  it  was  owing  to  the  heat  of  the  day,  the  rough- 
ness oP  the  ground,  or  the  fact  that  the  wolf  was  contend- 
ing for  life,  and  we  only  for  her  skin,  I  know  not,  but  in  a 
heat  of  four  miles  she  certainly  beat  us  fairly  over  a 
quarter. 


96  A   WEDDING   AND   A   WOLF-HUNT. 

Upon  reaching  Lake  Island  not  only  the  old  hound,  but 
the  smaller  fry,  abandoned  all  idea  of  the  chase,  and  rush- 
ed indiscriminately  into  the  water,  whence  they  refused 
most  doggedly  to  stir.  They  were  completely  done  over 
and  used  up,  and  most  of  our  horses  in  no  better  condi- 
tion. 

After  beating  the  bush  vainly  for  a  while,  we  called  a 
council  of  war,  and  determined  to  ride  our  reeking,  pant- 
ing steeds  homeward,  procure  fresh  ones,  and  other  dogs, 
and  return  again,  feeling  very  sure  that  "  Sir  Isengrim" 
would  not  dream  of  leaving  his  quarters  for  some  time, 
unless  cavalierly  ousted  ;  and  that  we  should  find  him 
waiting  us,  stiffened  with  his  morning's  work,  and  in  no 
condition  to  make  the  same  "  time"  again. 

On  our  homeward  route  Dave  and  myself,  to  whom  the 
escape  of  the  wolf  was  imputed,  caught  it  finely  from  all 
quarters.  "  Look  heah,  Dave,  whar's  the  '  Jack  ov  Diniins' 
you  war  gwine  to  hunt  on,  that  could  give  a  wolf  fits 
directly?"  "I  say,  strarmger,  that's  a  powerful  smart 
lookin'  chunk  ov  a  poney  you've  got  atwixt  yer  legs  thar, 
bnt  poneys  is  mighty  oncertain." 

"  Now,  boys,  jest  cum  out  squr  and  say  ef  yer  did  run 
ater  the  varment,  or  if  ye  took  a  sorter  skear  and  put  out 
tother  way." 

"  I  tell  what  is,  boys,"  said  a  fourth,  "  yer  all  barkiu.' 
up  the  wrong  tree.  I  smell  a  bug.  Dave  and  that  ar 
strannger's  ondly  play  in'  possum,  an  want  to  get  a  quarter 
race  out  on  us,  but  they  can't  pull  the  wool  over  this 
child's  eyes  ;  he's  got  'em  both  skinned." 

"  Shut  up,"  replied  Dave,  "  and  let  the  stranger  and  me 
alone.  Thar  warnt  one  ov  ye  in  half  a  mile  ov  the  tail 
ov  our  horses.  Ill  dar  ye  now  to  run  a  race  over  that 


RECRUIT  OP  THE  FORCES.  97 

Eame  hog-wallow,  and  anti  ten  cows  and  calves  on  ither 
the  stranger  er  me,  and  I'll  bet  a  plug  ov  tobacker  I  hev. 
a  saddle  cover  off  that  varmint's  back  afore  I  camp  down." 

On  nearing  the  plantation  we  perceived  a  number  of 
dark  objects  perched  upon  the  fence,  which  at  first  I  mis- 
took for  buzzards,  but  they  proved  to  be  a  general  assort- 
ment of  all  the  young  negroes  in  the  place,  chattering  like 
so  many  monkeys,  their  white  eyes  and  teeth  glistening  in 
their  setting  of  jet,  who  had  assembled  to  get  an  early 
view  of  the  "  varmint"  we  had  gone  forth  to  do  battle  with. 

As  soon  as  we  arrived  at  the  house,  one  of  the  young 
darkies  was  dispatched  to  the  river  with  an  invitation 
for  a  man  who  was  there  living  to  come  up  and  bring  all 
his  pups  ;  two  or  three  more  were  mounted,  and  sent  into 
the  prairie  in  search  of  the  "  caviarde"  of  horses — and  we 
went  in  to  dinner. 

To  use  a  very  expressive  Westernism,  "Dave's  tail  was 
up,"  and  every  possible  preparation  was  made  to  preclude 
a  failure.  The  dogs  that  had  returned  were  cared  for, 
the  very  best  cow  horses  (horses  trained  to  cow  hunting) 
selected,  a  complete  and  well  digested  plan  of  the  cam- 
paign devised  and  explained.  It  was,  however,  thought 
that  the  difficulties  of  the  chase  had  very  much  increased 
since  morning.  In  the  place  of  a  small  island  that  might 
be  easily  drawn,  the  wolf  was  now  in  a  dense  thicket  a 
mile  in  length,  with  a  stream  of  water  in  its  midst,  which 
the  cunning  old  rascal  might  use  to  great  advantage  in 
washing  his  trail,  and  throwing  the  dogs  off  the  scent. 

Four  -o'clock  found  us  all  prepared  for  a  start,  and  half 

an  hour's  sharp  riding  brought  us  to  the  hunting-ground. 

One  person  was  now  stationed  at  either  end  of  the  island, 

and  one  on  either  side,  all  of  them  at  a  sufficient  distance 

5 


98  A   WEDDING   AND   A   WOLF-HUXT. 

from  it  to  permit  tlicir  glance  to  take  in  everything  from 
one  outpost  to  another. 

We  then  commenced  operations  at  the  southern  end, 
spreading  ourselves  entirely  across  the  thicket,  and  forcing 
our  way  slowly  and  surely,  keeping  back  the  dogs  ;  and 
at  the  same  time  three  of  the  party  riding  even  with  our 
line  upon  the  outside. 

In  this  way  we  proceeded  through  the  island,  but  no 
' "  sign"  of  wolf  could  we  see.  Our  dogs  started  all  sorts 
of  strange  game,  but  not  the  kind  we  were  in  search  of. 
Dave  was  in  despair.  "  The  '  varmint's'  gone  home  again/7 
said  he.  "  I  rayther  reckon  not,"  replied  Joe.  "  I  rayther 
reckon  not ;  hit's  clar  agin  the  cunnin'  of  the  varmint  to 
think  so.  He's  pretty  much  used  up  to  begin  with,  and 
then  he  knows  we're  arter  him,  and  you  don't  catch  him 
showin'  his  profile  in  the  perara  tell  dark,  and  ef  thar's  a 
bright  moon  he'll  keep  shady  tell  nigh  sun  up,  and  then 
he'll  make  a  break.  I  tell  you  what,  gentlemen,  he's  here, 
I'll  bet  a  horse  on  that.  The  critter's  ben  in  the  lake, 
and  jumped  clar  across  the  path  into  the  bush,  and  thar  he 
lies — we've  been  within,  a  rod  of  him.  Ef  old  Bose  would 
get  up  and  go  to  work  we'd  fetch  him  soon,  but  these  dern 
no-account  pups  arn't  worth  shucks,  and  so  we  must  do  the 
tracking  ;  so,  boys,  let's  light,  some  on  us,  and  take  it 
afoot,  whilst  the  rest  keep  along  on  their  critters." 

Joe's  advice  was  taken  ;  he  started  off  on  the  lead,  and, 
strange  to  say,  within  ten  rods  of  the  spot  where  the  con- 
sultation had  been  held — stopped,  and  intimated  by  a 
very  significant  whistle  that  he  saw  "  sign." 

Old  hunter  as  Joe  was  he  for  once  allowed  himself  to 
be  thrown  off  his  guard — instead  of  passing  quietly  on, 
giving  us  "  item"  as  he  would  have  called  it,  and  permit- 


THE   ENEMY   MAKES   A   SORTIE.  99 

ting  us  to  surround  the  beast,  and  make  a  sure  thing  of  it : 
at  the  sight  of  the  "footprints  in  the  sand,"  he  first 
•whistled,  then  peeping  into  the  bush,  and  espying  tho 
much-sought-for  "  varmint,"  he  allowed  the  exuberance  of 
his  joy  to  evaporate  in  a  yell  that  would  have  aroused  the 
dead.  The  wolf  did  not  move,  until  Joe  very  imprudently 
seized  a  stick  and  poked  it  in  her  lair.  Then  with  but 
one  spring  she  dashed  at  her  tormentor,  who,  slipping,  fell 
backwards  into  the  water  ;  and  without  waiting  even  to 
crawl  out,  gave  us  a  succession  of  shouts  that  would  have 
done  honor  to  a  Commanche. 

The  wolf  had  evidently  made  up  her  mind  that  there 
was  nothing  left  for  her  but  a  run  for  life,  and,  crossing 
the  water,  made  for  the  open  prairie — but  her  situation 
was  far  from  agreeable.  Seen  by  three  of  the  outposts, 
she  was  immediately  headed  off,  and,  turning,  she  had  to 
encounter  the  party  stationed  on  the  edge  of  the  island ;  her 
speed  was  sensibly  diminished,  and  her  pursuers  now  felt 
sure  of  her.  Keeping  her  right  between  them,  they  now 
forced  her  to  a  course  parallel  with  the  island,  by  which 
manoeuvre  not  only  would  our  whole  party  be  gathered, 
but  she  would  be  driven  into  the  main  prairie,  without 
any  chance  of  finding  shelter,  except  by  taking  the  back 
track,  and  from  that  they  could  easily  cut  her  off.  As 
they  passed  the  end  of  the  island  the  whole  party  fell  in, 
and  we  all  obeyed  Dave's  direction  to  the  very  letter. 

The  chase  headed  down  the  prairie,  running  parallel 
with  the  wolf,  and  at  a  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile  on 
either  side  were  three  riders,  while  the  rest,  spread  out 
widely,  followed  at  about  the  same  distance  behind— the 
dogs  semi-distant  between  us — thus  forming  three  sides  of 
a  hollow  square,  with  the  wolf  and  dogs  in  the  centre. 


100  A   WEDDING   AND   A   WOLF-HUNT. 

Riding  at  half  speed,  and  watching  every  motion  of  the 
animal,  we  now  commenced  drawing  in,  four  or  five  riders 
leaving  the  back,  and  joining  the  side  line,  until  we  felt  that 
we  had  her  safe,  and  then  Dave  prepared  to  fulfil  his  pro- 
mise. Leaving  the  line,  he  took  his  "  caberos"  from  the 
pommel  of  the  saddle,  passed  it  underneath  his  leg,  then 
unfastening  it,  gathered  it  in  a  coil  in  his  left  hand,  in 
which  the  bridle  was  also  firmly  grasped.  In  his  right 
hand  was  the  noose  at  the  end  of  the  rope. 

Rising  in  his  stirrups,  with  an  encouraging  shout  to  his 
horse,  he  dashed  directly  at  the  wolf,  who,  now  maddened 
with  fear,  rage,  and  pain,  made  a  rush  first  on  one  side 
and  then  on  the  other,  in  hopes  of  escape,  but  giving  up  in 
despair,  resumed  her  straightforward  course. 

Dave  approached  behind,  and  driving  the  spurs  into  his 
horse's  flanks,  was  soon  parallel  with  her,  and  not  more 
than  twenty  feet  off. 

Giving  the  noose  three  or  four  twirls  around  his  head, 
he  launched  it  with  the  certainty  of  a  bullet  at  the  head 
of  the  animal,  and  without  one  instant's  pause  wheeled  his 
horse. 

The  rope  ran  out,  and  Sir  Isengrim,  jerked  suddenly 
about  from  his  headlong  career,  found  himself  heels  in  air, 
with  a  half-broken  neck,  dragged  on  his  back  at  a  rattling 
pace  over  the  prairie. 

At  this  very  moment  the  yell  of  a  dog  was  heard,  and 
"  old  Bose,"  lame,  tired,  half-dead  as  he  was,  running  on 
two,  three,  or  four  legs  by  turns,  -made  his  appearance, 
and  dashing  through  the  throng  of  his  useless  fellows, 
fastened  upon  the  wolfs  throat.  Over  and  over  they 
went  together,  Bose  having  all  the  fighting  and  biting  to 
himself. 


THE  HIDE  IN   DANGEE.  101 

Dave  checked  his  speed ;  found  the  poor  wolf  past 
praying  for  ;  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  he  could  drive 
the  dogs  off,  so  as  to  redeem  his  promise,  "  that  he  would 
cover  his  saddle  with  that  wolfs  hide." 


CHAPTER  X. 

•• 

MORE  WATER  THAN    PLEASANT. 

THE  wolf  hunt  had  been  conducted  with  so  much  spirit 
that  a  good  deal  more  was  required  to  finish  out  the 
night.  Hosts  and  guests  crowded  the  long  piazza  of  the 
bride's  house,  and  the  stories  and  the  bottle  went  round, 
until  many  heads  imitated  their  example. 

The  next  morning  the  party  was  to  break  up,  and  Joe 
and  I  were  to  return  to  our  thicket ;  but  I  regret  to  say 
that  Joe — albeit  on  ordinary  occasions  a  most  staid  and 
sedate  personage — had  for  once  gone  to  bed  in  too  merry 
a  mood  to  feel  much  like  work  when  he  arose,  and  so 
another  day  was  passed  by  us  among  the  debris  of  the  wed- 
ding. We  were  not  the  only  loiterers. 

The  third  morning  beheld  us  again  in  the  thicket,  and 
hard  at  work.  The  day  was  excessively  warm,  and  the 
air  very  oppressive.  Joe  predicted  thunder  and  heavy 
rain,  and  in  the  course  of  the  afternoon  dark  clouds  in  the 
north,  and  distant  thunder,  gave  warning  that  a  storm  was 
raging  near  the  source  of  our  little  river.  Joe  shook  his 
head,  and  wished  that  we  might  not  get  more  water  than 
pleasant,  but  consoled  himself  finally  with  the  thought  that 
we  needed  a  foot  more  in  the  river  for  rafting  purposes, 
and  that  the  ground  had  become  so  dry  that  there  was  but 
little  fear  of  a  freshet. 

We  had  just  finished  our  coffee,  and  were  lighting  our 
pipes,  when  a  few  heavy  drops,  pattering  upon  the  roof, 


THE   EIVER    MAKES  A   "  RAISE."  103 

announced  the  arrival  of  the  tempest.  So  well  secured 
were  we  in  our  snug  nook,  that,  but  little  fearing  the 
weather,  we  built  our  camp-fire  inside  our  hut,  and  smoked 
our  pipes  in  quietness,  looking  forth  upon  the  rain  that 
now  fell  in  sheets,  on  the  torrents  of  water  that  poured 
down  the  banks,  and  the  river  rapidly  swelling  and  grow- 
ing darker,  rather  as  some  scene  got  up  for  our  enter- 
tainment than  anything  threatening  us  with  misfortune  or 
danger. 

Throwing  a  fresh  log  upon  the  fire,  we  lay  down  at  our 
usual  time,  hugging  our  blankets  closer  around  us  as  the 
blast  whistled  shriller,  and  enjoying  that  kind  of  quiet 
comfort  every  one  experiences  when  safely  housed  from 
the  bitter  storm  that  seems  fairly  howling  with  rage  at 
being  disappointed  of  a  victim.  About  midnight  I  awoke, 
and  hearing  an  unwonted  rushing  noise,  arose  and  went 
out  of  the  camp.  I  walked  to  the  end  of  the  platform  of 
sand  without  difficulty,  but  my  first  step  from  that,  upon 
the  descending  ground  plunged  me  half  leg  deep  in  swiftly 
running  water. 

I  withdrew  immediately,  having  no  desire  of  a  cold 
bath  in  the  dark,  and  hastening  to  the  camp,  awoke  Joe, 
and  rekindled  the  fire,  so  that  it  might  throw  a  light 
across  the  river.  The  sight  was  an  ugly  one.  The 
stream,  usually  about  three  feet  deep,  was  now  eighteen 
or  twenty,  and  swept  along,  overwhelming  everything 
that  obstructed  its  progress.  Logs  of  wood,  trees  torn 
up  by  the  roots,  and  heaps  of  cane,  swept  by  us  with  fear- 
ful rapidity,  and  the  river  whirled  and  foamed  and  eddied, 
as  if  it  were  lashing  itself  into  a  fury.  There  was  no 
time  to  be  lost  if  we  would  save  our  shingles,  and  so, 
building  up  a  huge  fire,  we  commenced  carrying  them 


104  MOKE  WATEE  THAN   PLEASUEE. 

higher  up  the  bank.  At  least  twenty  feet  above  us  was 
another  platform,  and  all  night  we  toiled,  transporting 
there  our  shingles,  our  tools,  and  the  component  materials 
of  our  camp. 

In  the  morning  the  weather  changed,  and  the  sun  came 
out  to  look  upon  the  mischief  that  had  been  done  in  his 
absence.  We  prepared  a  hasty  and— candor  compels  me 
to  add — rather  poor  breakfast,  and  then  looked  around 
upon  the  scene  of  desolation.  The  river  swept  over  our 
camp-ground,  and  was  gradually  creeping  up  the  bank, 
but  Joe  said  that  our  "  possibles"  were  now  beyond  its 
reach.  We  must,  however,  search  for  another  camp, 
and  at  it  we  went,  not  in  the  best  humors  in  the 
•world. 

Immediately  above  us  was  the  outlet  of  a  palmetto 
brake,  which  was  sufficiently  low  to  admit  the  now 
aspiring  waters  of  the  river,  and  therefore  we  must 
venture  in  the  canoe  if  we  would  go  up  stream,  or 
even  if  we  would  find  the  trail — such  as  it  was — that 
led  homeward. 

It  looked  rather  squally,  but  could  not  be  helped  ;  so 
embarking  our  provisions  and  tools  in  the  canoe,  we  set 
forth  upon  a  somewhat  perilous  voyage. 

Koeping  close  to  the  bank,  and  obtaining  what  advan- 
tage we  could  by  catching  hold  of  the  branches  on  shore, 
and  when  it  depended  upon  paddles  alone,  wielding  them 
with  all  our  might,  we  finally,  and  after  an  hour's  hard 
labor,  reached  the  spot  which  Joe  had  designated  for  our 
new  home. 

I  jumped  on  shore,  tied  up  the  boat,  and  then 
received  our  little  freight  from  the  hands  of  Joe,  who 
stood  up  in  the  tottering  craft,  balancing  himself  and 


JOE   OVERBOARD.  105 

her  with  apparent  unconcern,  and  no  little  pride  at 
his  skill.  All  was  discharged  save  Joe  and  the  pro- 
visions, and  the  former,  catching  up  the  bag  which 
contained  the  latter,  was  just  about  stepping  ashore, 
when  the  idea  struck  him  that '  so  great  a  feat  as  we 
had  lately  performed  would  be  but  imperfectly  con- 
cluded unless  duly  celebrated  by  a  right  honest  yell. 
So,  turning  round  to  stare  the  river  right  in  the  face, 
he  commenced  what  was  intended  for  the  loudest  shout  on 
record,  but  alas !  was  nipped  in  the  very  bud  by  the  ope- 
rator, bag  and  all,  tumbling  overboard.  Away  swept  the 
tide,  away  swept  Joe,  and  away  swept  the  bag.  They 
had  vanished  from  my  sight — for  we  had  turned  a  short 
corner  just  before  landing — and  in  an  instant  after  the 
catastrophe,  nothing  remained  visible  or  audible  except  a 
sort  of  mixture  of  yell  and  water,  that  seemed  to  come 
from  beneath  the  surface.  I  jumped  into  the  canoe  again 
and  was  carried  down  stream  in  a  hurry,  having  the  mor- 
tification to  whirl  right  by  Joe,  who  was  very  composedly 
hanging  to  an  extending  limb,  not  ten  yards  from  the  spot 
where  he  fell  in,  and  inquired  in  a  petulant  manner  what 
I  "  cut  that  dern  fool  caper  for,"  and  "  where  I  expected 
to  go  to?"  Luckily  for  me,  I  also  caught  a  branch, 
and  Joe,  letting  go  all,  except  the  provision  bag,  to 
which  he  clung  with  his  teeth,  was  alongside  immedi- 
ately. In  a  few  minutes  we  were  back  in  harbor  again, 
and  I  gave  Joe  a  piece  of  my  mind  about  "hallooing 
before  he  was  out  of  the  woods,"  to  which  he  retorted 
in  the  same  strain — and  not  intended  as  a  complimentary 
one  either — some  remarks  touching  my  skill  in  canoe 
navigation. 

No  harm  had  been  done  after  all,  except  the  wetting  of 
5* 


106  MORE  WATER  THAN   PLEASURE. 

our  provisions,  which,  by  the  way,  were  very  near  a  total 
loss.  The  meal  was  ruined,  the  salt  dissolved,  and  flavor- 
ing the  coffee,  and  nothing  but  a  piece  of  junk  beef 
remaining  in  anything  of  an  eatable  condition,  so  that, 
excepting  the  said  beef,  our  dinner  was  a  thing  past  pray 
ing  for.  Beef,  Joe  would  have  relinquished  without  a 
murmur  ;  the  meal  even,  might  have  been  ruined  without 
exciting  his  ire  ;  but  to  do  without  coffee  was  monstrous, 
and  not  to  be  conceived  of,  and  a  return  home  for  a  new 
supply  that  very  evening  was  proposed  and  carried  nem. 
con, 

Selecting  a  partially  formed  cave  near  the  top  of  the 
bank,  we  soon  improvised  a  temporary  residence,  and  then 
we  found,  in  a  brake  a  few  rods  behind  us,  some  admirable 
cypress.  To  work  we  went,  felled  a  tree, .  cut  it  into 
proper  lengths,  and  then,  to  try  its  adaptability  for 
shingles,  we  must  needs  split  up  and  shave  a  few.  All 
of  these  occupations  consumed  so  much  time,  that  when 
we  returned  to  our  new  home,  the  sun  had  abandoned 
our  side  of  terra  firma,  and  was  upon  a  visit  to  foreign 
parts. 

I  strenuously  objected  to  returning  by  night,  but  Joe 
would  have  it  that  the  moon  must  soon  make  her  appear- 
,ance,  and  that  even  without  her  light  he  could  find  his 
way,  and  so,  as  usual,  I  yielded. 

Disdaining  all  attempt  at  following  the  trail,  which 
indeed  would  have  been  useless  at  night,  Joe  boldly 
struck  what  he  called  a  bee-line  for  home,  and  in  ten 
minutes  we  found  ourselves  knee-deep  in  water,  floun- 
dering about  in  the  abominable  palmetto  brake.  Joe 
swore  a  little,  and  so  completely  worn  out  was  I 
with  the  fatigue  of  the  night  and  day,  that  laughing 


NAVIGATING    A  EHAKE.  IV,  7 

at  him  was  entirely  out  of  the  question  upon  my  part. 
There  was  now  but  one  course  to  be  pursued.  If  we 
endeavored  to  escape  from  the  brake,  we  should  cer- 
tainly and  inevitably  pass  a  night  in  the  woods,  and 
as  we  had  very  foolishly  left  behind  us  all  means  of 
making  a  fire,  this  would  have  been  anything  but  plea- 
sant. "We  could  but  follow  out  the  brake  to  the  prairie, 
or  at  least  until  such  time  as  the  moon  rose,  and  trust 
to  fortune  for  keeping  us  as  straight  as  possible.  Our 
plan  was  ingenious,  but  slow  of  execution.  As  often 
as  once  in  four  feet  grew  one  of  those  high  hum- 
mocks— caused  by  the  roots  of  the  palmetto — and  of 
course  on  it  the  plant  itself.  Jumping  from  one  to 
another  of  these  hummocks  was  the  only  mode  by  which 
we  could  avoid  wading,  and  to  keep  our  course  we  hit 
upon  the  following  expedient : — Joe,  having  satisfied  him- 
self by  some  mysterious  kind  of  astronomy — for  trees  were 
not  in  the  way  where  we  then  were — he  turned  his 
face  in  the  right  direction,  and  grasping  a  palmetto  to 
retain  his  footing,  remained  firm  and  immovable  until 
I  had  preceded  him  for  some  distance,  hopping  squirrel- 
like  from  bunch  to  bunch.  "When  I  had  made  a  proper 
offing,  I  shouted,  and  was  then  ordered  to  the  right  or 
the  left,  accordingly  as  I  varied  from  the  proper  course. 
When  I  was  rightly  placed,  then  Joe  went  ahead,  while 
I  remained  still,  and  so  proceeding,  we  made  sure  but 
slow  progress. 

In  about  an  hour  and  a  half  the  moon  at  last  appeared, 
and  we  found  ourselves  very  near  the  open  pine  woods, 
which  we  entered  with  joy,  for  our  swamp  journey  had 
been  none  of  the  most  delightful.  To  say  nothing  of  the 
abominable  "  moccasins  "  that  abounded  there,  there  was 


108  MOKE  WATER  THAN    PLEASURE. 

no  want  of  panthers  or  bear,  in  and  around  the  swamp, 
and  we  stood  a  pretty  good  chance  of  stumbling  upon 
some  travelling  alligator.  We  came  off  unscathed,  to  be 
sure,  but  that  night  I  made  a  vow  against  any  more 
voluntary  swamp  escapades,  and  determined  that  my  first 
speculation  in  wood  should  be  my  last. 

The  next  day  it  recommenced  raining,  and  kept  it 
up  for  a  week,  and  when  at  last  we  started  upon  our 
return,  Joe,  after  walking  a  mile,  complained  of  illness, 
and  back  we  went  again.  It  was  fortunate  that  we  did 
go,  for  the  next  day  he  was  delirious  from  a  violent 
fever. 

Everything  in  the  shape  of  a  man,  excepting  Sam 
Ming,  Old  Caesar,  and  ourselves,  had  left  the  settle- 
ment, and  engaged  in  a  general  "  cow-hunt."  Sam  and 
Old  Africa  had  been  left  as  a  necessary  guard,  but  the 
former  had  taken  it  into  his  head  to  indulge  in  a  fit 
of  shakes,  and  the  latter  was  incapacitated  for  severe 
horseback  exercise,  and  so  perforce  I  must  make  a  trip 
down  the  prairie  for  the  nearest  doctor,  who  enjoyed 
a  convenient  little  circle  of  practice,  of  which  the  radii 
were  something  over  thirty  miles. 

We  lived  upon  the  very  verge  of  the  circle,  and  my 
ride  through  an  open  prairie,  without  path  or  trail,  was 
not  a  joke  for  a  neophyte  like  myself.  I  need  not  now 
tell  how,  after  floundering  on  from  one  marais  to  another, 
jumping  gullies  when  I  could,  and  heading  them  when  I 
could  not,  wading  an  extempore  creek  here,  and  swim- 
ming another  there,  I  finally  about  sunset  reached  the 
doctor's  settlement. 

This  prairie  travelling  is  very  like  the  coasting  service. 
You  set  off  with  some  lone  tree,  miles  off  in  the  mid 


DRY   LAND    COASTING. 


prairie,  for  your  guide,  keeping  a  good  offing  from  the 
timber,  but  steering  in  towards  one  point,  and  bearing 
away  from  another,  for  all  the  world  as  a  pilot  would 
take  a  vessel  through  Long  Island  Sound. 


CHAPTER  XL 

NEW  ACQUAINTANCES — UNCLE  BILLY  AND  HIS  VERNACULAR. 

A  LARGE  frame  house,  with  a  number  of  small  barns  and 
outhouses,  very  rude,  and  entirely  innocent  of  paint 
indeed,  but  yet  of  more  pretension  than  Texan  build- 
ings generally,  loomed  up  quite  largely  on  the  prairie, 
and  the  doctor's  settlement  stood  confessed  before  me. 
My  wearied  horse  evidently  knew  it  also,  and  without 
any  hint  from  me,  took  the  straightest  possible  course  for 
the  plantation.  Riding  up  to  the  bars,  I  gave  the  usual 
"  hallo,"  and  out  rushed  the  customary  number  of  dogs  to 
greet  me,  barking  and  yelping  as  if  some  wild  animal  had 
arrived. 

At  last  the  doctor  himself  came  out.  He  was  a  very 
large,  and  particularly  good-humored  looking  man,  over 
six  feet  in  height,  and  dressed  oddly  enough  in  broad- 
cloth pantaloons,  seated  and  "foxed"  with  buckskin,  no 
vest,  and  a  kind  of  pea  jacket  of  white  flannel.  He  wore 
a  huge  flap-eared  Quaker  hat,  and,  as  I  afterwards  dis- 
covered, belonged  to  the  persuasion  of  Friends.  Rather 
a  queer  country  for  Quakers,  it  would  appear,  and  rather 
a  difficult  one  to  retain  the  plain  language  and  plain  dress 
in  ;  indeed  the  hat  was  the  only  outward  sign  left,  except- 
ing an  occasional  "  thee  "  when  the  good  lady  of  the  house 
was  addressed. 

"  Come,  sir,  light  and — get  out  and  be  hanged  to  you 


OFF,   IN  THE  FIKST  BOAT.  Ill 

(to  the  dogs) — come  in,  the  boys  will  see  to  your  horse ; 
here,  boys !"  was  the  Doctor's  salutation. 

Dismounting,  I  placed  my  horse  in  the  hands  of  two 
stalwart  lads,  and  as  I  walked  towards  the  house,  I  deli- 
vered my  message. 

"  What !  Joe  sick  ?  tough  Joe  ?  who'd  have  thought  it  ?" 
said  the  Doctor.  "  Wants  me  to-night,  eh  ?  Well,  I  don't 
know  any  one  that  I'd  ride  up  the  prairie  for  in  such  tra- 
velling as  quick  as  I  would  for  Joe  ;  and  so.  I'll  be  off ; 
but  you  must  stay  all  night.  I'd  be  glad  of  your  com- 
pany, but  you're  not  used  to  such  night  work,  and  there 
are  two  gentlemen  in  the  house  who  are  going  up  to-mor- 
row, and  will  ride  with  you.  Come  in." 

"  Thank  you,"  I  replied  ;  "  I  must  own  to  being  pretty 
well  tired,  but  still  I  fear  I  shall  be  needed  at  Joe's." 

"  Oh,  no,"  answered  the  Doctor,  "  I'll  see  to  Joe  until 
you  return  ;  and  besides  these  two  gentlemen  here  want  to 
have  a  talk  with  you." 

"  With  me  ?"  I  demanded,  in  some  astonishment. 

"  Yes,  sir,  if  you  are  Mr.  P.,  as  I  suppose  you  are. 
They  are  going  up  country  to-morrow,  and  intended  stop- 
ping at  the  Houghs  on  purpose  to  see  you.  They  are 
pretty  largely  mixed  up  in  land  speculation,  and  want 
assistance — somebody  that  they  can  trust  to  examine 
titles,  make  out  and  copy  papers,  hunt  up  testimony, 
and  I  don't  know  what  else.  They'll  pay  well." 

"  But,  Doctor,  what  do  they  know  about  me,  how  did 
they  hear  of  me,  and  who  are  they  ?" 

"  Oh,  they  heard  of  you  from  somebody  at  Houston,  and 
as  to  who  they  are  ;  one  of  'em's  Col.  Ting,  a  sharp  go-a- 
head fellow,  I  tell  you ;  was  in  nearly  every  scrimmage  in 
*  '36,'  an  old  soldier  every  inch  of  him ;  and  the  other's 


112  UNCLE  BILLY  AND   HIS   VERNACULAR. 

known  all  over  Texas,  and  Alabama  too,  I  believe,  as 
Uncle  Billy  Roberts,  a  rich,  jolly  old  planter,  works  a 
hundred  negroes,  is  a  partner  of  the  Colonel's  in  some 
land  operations,  knows  how  to  tell  a  funny  story  in  the 
worst  possible  English — in  fact,  he  delights  in  outlandish 
expressions — and  is  altogether  one  of  the  most  kindly- 
hearted  men  I  know  of.  But  come,  let's  go  into  the 
house." 

The  principal  room  was  tenanted  by  the  two  gentlemen 
aforesaid — the  Colonel,  a  man  over  six  feet  in  height,  thin 
as  a  latch,  dressed  with  some  pretension,  and  looking  as 
sharp  and  martinet-ish  as  possible  ;  Uncle  Billy,  quite  as 
tall  as  the  other,  but  large  and  jovial,  looming  up  in  a  full 
suit  of  home-made  jeans,  of  a  reddish  brown  color — and 
the  Doctor's  wife,  and  daughter. 

After  an  off-hand  introduction,  we  sat  down  to  supper  ; 
and  after  supper,  the  Doctor  took  his  departure,  and  the 
two  strangers  and  I  walked  out  in  front -of  the  house,  took 
seats  upon  the  fence,  and  commenced  negotiations.  Dur- 
ing the  whole  conversation,  the  Colonel  whittled  away  at 
a  bit  of  stick  in  the  most  Yankeefied  way  possible,  while 
Uncle  Billy  tugged  away  at  his  short-stemmed  stone 
pipe.  The  agreement  was  soon  made  ;  they  wanted  me, 
and  I  was  anxious  to  see  as  much  of  the  country  as  I 
could,  and  to  engage  in  some  employment  more  congenial 
to  my  feelings  and  habits  than  shingle-making. 

Seated  at  length  around  the  huge  fire-place,  where  a 
small  fire  had  been  kindled  to  banish  the  damps  of  even- 
ing, Uncle  Billy  remarked  to  me  : — 

"  Well,  stranger,  seen  rough  times,  I  reckon  ;  allers  the 
case  with  new  comers ;  never  knew  it  fail.  Thar's  the 
Cun'nle,  ask  him  ;  ask  old  Doctor  Wheaton,  but  you  can't, 


HOW  UNCLE   BILLY   CAME   THERE.  113 

seein'  he's  half  way  up  the  prairie  by  this  time ;  but  thar's 
his  old  woman,  she'll  tell  you." 

To  this  very  general  speech,  Col.  Ting  assumed  the  duty 
of  replying,  and  his  reply  was  very  Down-East  indeed. 

"  Pray,  Uncle  Billy,"  said  he,  "  what  first  brought  you 
to  Texas?" 

"  Me !  why  the  consarned  '  fever  an'  ager '  did  it.  I 
shan't  forget  my  first  trip,  ner  what  happened  soon  arter 
neither,  I  tell  yow,"  replied  Uncle  Billy.  "  Why,  Cun'nle, 
I  sfaid  with  Old  Charley  Birkham.  You  knew  him,  I 
reckon?" 

"  I  have  heard  of  him,"  replied  Ting,  "  and  if  you  know 
anything  about  his  death  and  that  lynching  affair,  I 
should  like  to  hear  it." 

"  Well,"  said  Uncle  Billy,  "  I  reckon  I  might  as  well 
tell  the  whole  on  't ;  so  here  goes " 

Before  I  give  Uncle  Billy's  story,  in  its  own  unadul- 
terated native  vernacular,  a  few  remarks  on  the  singular 
idioms  of  the  South  West  will  not  be  mal-apropos — and  as 
this  is  the  age  of  plagiarism,  I  trust  I  shall  commit  no 
very  heinous  offence  in  stealing  from  myself  the  following 
extract  from  a  somewhat  lengthy  paper  on  the  subject, 
written  some  years  since  : — 

The  origin  and  perpetuity  of  many  of  our  queer  and 
out-of-the-way  phrases,  may  be  traced  to  the  semi-annual 
meetings  of  gentlemen  of  the  bar  at  the  courts  of  our 
Southern  and  Western  States. 

These  gentlemen,  living  as  they  do  in  the  thinly  inha- 
bited portion  of  our  land,  and  among  a  class  of  persons 
generally  very  far  their  inferiors  in  point  of  education, 
rarely  enjoying  anything  that  may  deserve  the  name  of 


114  UNCLE  BILLY  AND   HIS   VERNACULAR. 

intellectual  society,  are  too  apt  to  seek  for  amusement  in 
listening  to  the  droll  stories  and  odd  things  always  to  be 
heard  at  the  country  store  or  bar-room.  Every  new 
expression  and  queer  tale  is  treasured  up,  and  new  ones 
manufactured  against  the  happy  time  when  they  shall 
meet  their  brothers-in-law  at  the  approaching  term  of  the 
district  court. 

If  ever  pure  fun,  broad  humor,  and  "  Laughter  holding 
both  his  sides,"  reign  supreme,  it  is  during  the  evening 
of  these  sessions.  Each  one  empties  and  distributes -his 
well  filled  budget  of  wit  and  oddities,  receiving  ample 
payment  in  like  coin,  which  he  pouches,  to  again  dissemi- 
nate at  his  earliest  opportunity. 

Although  I  may  lay  down,  as  a  general  rule,  that  the 
same  words  and  phrases  prevail  throughout  the  South  and 
West,  yet  almost  every  State  has  its  local  peculiarities  ; 
Texas,  for  instance,  the  large  admixture  of  Spanish  words  ; 
Louisiana,  of  French  ;  Georgia  and  Alabama  borrow 
many  from  the  Indians.  North  Carolina  is  notorious  for  a 
peculiar  flatness  of  pronunciation  in  such  words  as  crap  for 
"  crop,"  earn  for  "  corn,"  peert  for  "  pert,"  <fec.  "  /  allow," 
meaning  "  I  think,"  "  I  consider,"  is,  I  believe,  of  Ala- 
bama origin,  and  so  is  that  funny  expression,  "  done  gone" 
"  done  done"  implying  "  entirely  gone,"  and  " entirely 
done."  In  Virginia  many  of  the  lower  class  pronounce  th 
as  d—dat  for  "  that,"  dar  for  "  there,"  dis  for  "  this." 

These  and  other  similar  derelictions  may  be  traced 
to  the  fact  that  all  children  are  inclined  to  make  compa- 
nions of  the  negroes,  to  listen  to  their  queer  rambling 
tales,  to  accompany  them  upon  their  "  coon  hunts,"  &c., 
and  thus  acquire  a  negro  style  of  pronunciation,  and 
many  negro  words  that  nothing,  save  a  good  education, 


THE  TWO   GRAND    DIVISIONS.  115 

can  eradicate,  and  even  that  does  not  always  perfectly 
succeed. 

There  arc  two  great  and  distinct  classes  in  the  United 
States,  the  Yankee  and  the  Virginian ;  the  former  occupy- 
ing the  New  England  States,  and  thence  spreading  in 
almost  every  direction,  claiming  a  great  portion  of  the 
State  of  Ohio,  and  even  a  share  of  Indiana  and  Illinois, 
although  in  these  two  last-mentioned  states  the  Southern 
peculiarities  of  speech  are  more  common  ;  the  latter  pro- 
perly commencing  at  that  imaginary  division,  "  Mason 
and  Dixon's  line,"  and  thence  running  south  and  west. 
The  intermediate  states  are  divided  between  the  two. 
New  York,  Pennsylvania,  and  New  Jersey  have  indeed 
been  well  inoculated  with  a  solid  basis  of  Dutch  and 
Swedish  in  their  infancy,  yet,  save  here  and  there  some 
stray  neighborhood  of  ancient  Hollanders  or  sturdy 
Swedes,  whose  manners,  customs,  and  language  our  intru- 
sive Yankees  have  been  unable  to  corrupt,  a  few  terms 
and  phrases  that  have  crept  into  general  usage,  alone  give 
token  that  a  foreign  tongue  once  reigned  over  so  large  a 
section  of  our  land. 

The  distinction  between  these  two  great  classes  (the 
Yankee  and  the  Virginian)  is  so  wide  and  so  clearly  drawn 
as  to  be  visible  and  palpable  to  every  casual  observer. 
Should  one,  however,  ever  hesitate  as  to  the  place  of  nati- 
vity of  one  of  our  free  and  enlightened  citizens,  there 
exists  a  test,  which,  potent  as  the  spear  of  Ithuriel,  will 
dispel  all  clouds  of  doubt  that  may  overshadow  his  mind. 
Let  the  person  in  question  be  requested  to  give  an  opinion 
upon  any  subject.  Should  he  guess,  write  him  down  a 
Yankee  ;  does  he  reckon,  you  may  swear  him  a  Southron. 
The  Yankee  guesses,  the  Southron  reckons,  which  our  New 


116  UNCLE   BILLY  AND   HIS   VERNACULAR. 

England  friend  never  does,  except  by  and  with  the  aid, 
assistance,  and  advice  of  "that  estimable  arithmetician  and 
pedagogue,  Nathan  Daboll,  Esq.  Per  contra,  however, 
the  Yankee  calculates,  and  pretty  shrewdly  also,  while  the 
Southron  allows.  The  one  wouldn't  wonder  if  some  expected 
event  should  take  place,  while  the  other,  more  ardent  and 
careless  of  assertion,  "  goes  his  death  upon  it "  that  it  will. 
To  the  latter,  drawing  his  comparison  from  his  idolized 
rifle,  a  thing  is  " as  sure  as  shooting"  while  to  the  former, 
more  pious  or  more  hypocritical,  it  is  "  as  sartin  as  preach- 
in?."  The  one  will  be  "  darned,"  and  the  other  "  derned," 
both  evading  an  oath  in  nearly  the  same  manner,  the  only 
difference  being  the  substitution  of  one  vowel  for  another. 
Should  this  asseveration  require,  additional  force,  the 
Northern  man  will  be  " gaul  darned"  and  the  Southron 
"  dod  derned" — a  curious  perversion  of  sacred  names  to 
ease  the  conscience,  while  giving  vent  to  one's  temper. 
In  fact,  it  is  almost  impossible,  among  the  many  cor- 
ruptions of  language  of  which  both  are  guilty,  to  cite  an 
expression  in  which  some  slight  but  marked  difference 
does  not  exist. 

To  the  Northern  man,  every  silicious  mass  is  a  stone,  be 
it  large  enough  to  weigh  a  ton,  while  the  Southern  ignores 
the  word  in  toto,  and  calls  everything  of  that  description 
a  rock",  though  no  larger  than  a  midge's  wing.  The 
application  of  this  word  is  extremely  ludicrous  to  one 
whose  ears  are  unaccustomed  to  it,  and  I  remember  laugh- 
ing heartily  at  the  idea  of  picking  up  a  rock  to  throw  at  a 
bird.  When  man  or  boy,  biped  or  quadruped ,  bird  or 
beast  is  pelted,  the  unfortunate  recipient  of  projectile 
favors  is  said  to  be  rocked,  unless  indeed  wood  be  put  in 
requisition,  and  then  he  is  chunked. 


OLD    "  ROSIN-THE-BOW."  117 

In  Arkansas,  however,  the  term  donoch  usurps  the  place 
of  either  rock  or  stone.  That  touching  and  popular 
Southern  ballad,  yclept  "Rosin  the  bow,"  concludes  in 
these  pathetic  words  : — 

"  Then  fetch  me  a  couple  of  donochs, 

Place  one  at  my  head  and  my  toe, 
And  do  not  forget  to  write  on  it, 
The  name  of  old  Rosin-the-bow." 

No  shadow  of  doubt  can  possibly  remain  in  the  mind  of 
any  unprejudiced  person,  but  that  the  sovereign  State  of 
Arkansas  may  lay  just  and  true  claim  to  the  honor  of  hav- 
ing given  birth  to  the  interesting  individual  in  question. 
The  further  south  you  travel,  the  more  rude,  wild,  and 
energetic  the  language  you  will  hear.  Texas  excels  all 
others  in  additions  and  corruptions.  The  old  Texan  has 
no  farm,  it  is  a  ranche.  A  rope  he  knows  not ;  everything 
in  that  line  is  either  a  larriat  or  a  caberos,  the  one  being 
made  of  raw-hide  twisted  or  plaited,  and  the  latter  spun 
by  hand  from  the  hair  of  horses  or  neat  cattle.  He  never 
seeks  or  looks  for  anything,  but  always  hunts  it.  He 
hunts  bees,  cattle,  a  missing  pair  of  oxen  (he  calls  them 
beeves'),  or  a  doctor.  Nothing  leaves  a  mark  to  him,  he 
only  sees  sign,  whether  of  bird  or  beast,  friend  or  enemy. 
You  hear  of  turkey  sign,  bear  sign,  hog  sign,  cow  sign, 
Indian  sign,  etc.,  etc.  When  he  wishes  to  leave,  he  does 
not  say  with  the  Yankee,  "  Well,  we'd  better  be  a  goinV 
but  "  Let's  vamos".  or  "  Let's  vamos  the  ranche."  He  never 
asks  afout  the  situation  of  the  grass  on  the  prairie,  but 
inquires  about  the  summer  or  winter  range.  A  fish  spear 
is  to  him  a  groin  ',  a  boat,  a  dugout ;  a  halter,  a  bosaal ;  a 
whip,  a  quirt ;  a  house,  no  house,  but  a  log-pen  ;  a  drove 


118  UNCLE   BILLY   AND    HIS   VEKNACULAR. 

of  horses  is  a  caviarde,  and  when  a  universal  fright  among 
them  occurs,  it  is  a  stampede.  He  does  not  kill  his  game, 
he  saves,  or  gets  it,  or  makes  it  come.  Apropos  of  this,  I 
will  record  an  anecdote,  for  the  authenticity  of  which  I 
can  vouch. 

The  noted  Judge  TV.,  better  known  as  "  Three-legged 
Willie"  once  attended  a  barbacue  for  the  purpose  of 
addressing  the  assembled  multitude,  and  soliciting  their 
votes  for  Congress.  His  opponent  had  slain  a  man  in  a 
duel  or  street-fight,  and  was  endeavoring  to  apologize  and 
explain  the  circumstances  connected  with  the  act.  Willie 
listened  attentively  with  a  sneer  upon  his  countenance, 
and  when  he  had  finished,  arose  and  remarked  :  "  The 
gentleman  need  not  have  wasted  so  much  breath  in 
excusing  himself  for  having  saved  a  notorious  rascal ;  all 
of  you  know  that  I  have  shot  three,  and  two  of  them  I 
got." 

The  monosyllable  "  there,"  or  in  the  backwoodsman's 
language,  thar,  has  its  original  meaning  so  singularly  per- 
verted and  enlarged,  and  lays  claim  to  so  many  and  such 
peculiar  significations,  that  it  is  worthy  our  especial 
notice. 

A  man  who  accepts  an  invitation  to  a  frolic  or  a  fight, 
a  wedding  or  a  funeral,  probably  answers,  I'm  thar.  A 
person  wishing  to  imply  that  he  is  perfectly  at  home  in 
anything,  says  he  is  thar  ;  a  good  hunter  or  fisher  is  also 
thar.  A  jockey  once  sold  a  draught-horse  with  this  recom- 
mendation : — "  He  ain't  no  pertikeler  beauty,  stranger,  to 
boast  on,  but  when  you  get  to  the  bottom  of  a  hill  with  a 
heavy  load,  he's  thar,  I  tell  you."  The  poor  man,  how- 
ever, found  out  that  his  new  purchase,  under  such  circum- 
stances, certainly  was  thar,  and  thar  he  was  likely  to 


THE  DONKEY'S  ENTERTAINMENT.  119 

remain,  as  neither  words  nor  blows  could  induce  him  to 
budge  a  foot. 

An  amusing  story  is  told  in  the  South,  which  illustrates 
very  well  one  of  the  many  uses  of  this  word.  The  king 
of  beasts,  it  is  said,  invited  all  his  subjects  to  a  ball,  and 
all  attended  in  compliance  with  the  princely  invitation, 
with  the  exception  of  the  poor  donkey,  who  remained  out- 
side, solacing  himself  with  the  music  of  the  violins,  that 
were  merrily  keeping  time  to  the  very  fantastic  toes  of  the 
jocund  dancers.  Several  messengers  in  vain  were  sent  to 
press  his  entrance,  and  finally  his  majesty  himself  conde- 
scended to  seek  the  sage,  and  insist  upon  his  returning 
with  him.  "  Your  majesty,"  replied  Jack,  "  I'm  not  much 
of  a  hand  at  dancing,  but  if  there's  singing  to  be  done, 
why  I'm  thar." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

UNCLE  BILLY'S  STORY — HOW  CHARLEY  BIRKHAM  WAS 
MURDERED. 

"  THE  first  time,  stranger,  I  ever  see  Old  Charley  Birkham 
wer  a  smart  piece  ago, — nigh  on  to  a  year  or  so  arter  I 
left  up  thar  in  Tennessee,  whar  I  was  raised,  and  came 
down  and  settled  on  the  Warrior  in  Alabama. 

"  The  fever-n-ager  got  fastened  to  me,  and  tho'  I  shuk 
mighty  hard,  it  wouldn't  be  shuk  off  no  way  I  could  fix  it. 
Thar  hit  (it)  stuck,  just  like  one  of  them  dern  Cam- 
manches  on  a  mestang,  the  worse  hit  jumps,  the  tighter 
he'll  stick,  s7  if  the  biggest  part  of  him  wer  glued  to  the 
saddle,  or  like  he  wer  one  of  them  rale  half  horse  'n  half 
alligator  fellers,  that  fit  in  the  Trojan  war,  or  soniewheres 
else,  that  I  used  to  read  on  when  I  went  to  school. 

"  Well,  the  doctors  in  them  days  warn't  exactly  up  to 
fci-nine  ;  they  war  sorter  skeared  at  it,  hit  wer  so  awda- 
cious  powerful — they's  mighty  apt  to  feed  a  feller  on  it 
now  'til  he  kin  hear  all  the  drums  in  the  Mexican  army, 
and  a  few  of  Uncle  Sam's  thrown  in — but  they  warn't  up 
to  it  then  ;  so  they  jest  fed  me  on  lodlum  and  epecack, 
washed  down  with  myrtle  tea — t'warn't  no  sorter  use ; 
then  they  tried  aguer-forty — ef  it  had  been  aguer  hundred 
t'wouldn't  hev  half  done ;  then  they  give  me  some  stuff 
that  tasted  like  iron  hoops  stewd  down,  but  t'wouldn't 
make  a  center  shot  nither. 

"  I  stood  it  all  quite  docious,  tell  the  doctor  talked  of 
trying  arsenic,  and  then  I  kicked.  Next  day  he  brought 


SHAKING   OFF    THE   'ACER.  121 

me  a  little  bottle,  and  told  me  to  take  ten  drops  every 
morning  in  a  whiskey  toddy  with  the  chill  off",  and  then  I 
spoke  up,  and  says  : — 

"  '  Jest  look  here-,  old  Pill  Box,  you've  trotted  your  hull 
drug  store  through  me.  I've  swallowed  all  the  physic 
you've  got,  without  shyin,  tell  I'm  a  walking  potercarry's 
shop,  but  now,  that  you've  come  to  the  pisons,  I'll  bolt 
and  go  to  doctern  on  my  own  hook.  I've  had  as  much 
med'sen  as  you  could  tote  on  a  wheelbarrow.  I'm  goin' 
to  try  horse  and  saddle  in  the  mornin'  with  the  chill  on — 
faint  no  use  a  talkin'.  I've  got  some  kin  settled  over 
onto  Old  Red,  and  I'm  goin'  to  scare  'em  up,  and  see  how 
they  like,  and  try  and  ride  off  this  consarned  ager.' 

"  Well,  stranger,  when  he  see  I  wer  sot  on  it,  he  give  in, 
and  said  it  wer  the  best  thing  I  could  do. 

"  I'm  mighty  easy  on  the  trigger,  and  the  next  mornin' 
I  wer  done  gone.  I  kissed  the  old  woman,  spanked  the 
children,  threatened  the  niggers,  promised  the  overseer  a 
new  covering  and  a  jug  of  '  red  eye '  if  all  went  straight, 
got  all  my  fixins  together,  and  off  I  sot.  I  rode  an  all 
fired  smart  chunk  of  a  pony — real  Creole,  cane  raised — 
walk  six  miles  an  hour,  and  run  like  a  scared  deer  in  a 
perara  afire.  I  win  a  quarter-race  with  him,  four  bales 
anti,  just  afore  I  took  sick — beating  a  mare  that  wer 
allowed  to  be  the  fastest  critter  agoin'. 

"  Well,  as  I  war  sayin',  off  I  sot ;  went  through  Massas- 
sippi,  crossed  the  'Big  Drink/  came  to  now  and  then, 
when  the  chill  come  it  too  strong,  rode  around,  visited  my 
kin,  butr  couldn't  get  shut  of  the  ager.  So  I  allowed  I'd 
try  the  piney  woods  a  spell,  and  go  over  to  Tayhas — as 
they  used  to  call  it — and  take  a  sort  of  land-hunt. 

"  I  went  up  country  a  bit,  struck  '  Trammel's  Trace ' — 


122  UNCLE  BILLY'S  STORY. 

nothing  but  a  blazed  road  then — and  kept  on  till  I  got  to 
Old  Charley  Birkem's.  If  you've  never  heard  tell  of  Old 
Charley,  you  ought  to.  He  lived  on  the  frontier  among 
the  Ingens,  and  cattle-raisers,  and  renegades,  and  despera- 
does, many  years,  but  none  of  'em  ever  thought  of  harming 
him.  Everybody  loved  him  as  well  as  if  he  wer  thar  own 
father  ;  even  the  Ingens  listened  to  him,  and  many  a  stolen 
critter  has  he  coaxed  'em  to  give  up.  If  any  of  the  neigh- 
borhood had  a  difficulty,  they  never  thought  of  goin'  to 
the  Alcalde,  but  jest  left  it  out  to  Old  Charley,  and  he  did 
the  right  thing.  Uncle  Sam  paid  him  something  for  being 
a  sorter  agent  and  keepin'  the  Red-skins  in  order,  and 
people  that  come  a  land-huntin'  always  hired  him  to  help 
'em  ;  he  had  a  nigger  or  two  of  his  own,  and  so  got  a 
comfortable  livin'.  His  cabin  and  his  crib  were  open  to 
anybody  and  anybody's  critter  that  come  along — come 
when  you  pleased,  go  when  you  pleased,  no  questions 
asked,  and  all  free  gratis  for  nothiu'. 

"  I  stayed  with  him  nigh  onto  a  month  ;  his  old  woman 
doctored  me,  and  give  me  '  number  six ' — lucky  it  warn't 
one  number  higher,  or  'twould  hev  fixed  my  flint — cured  me 
and  the  ager  at  the  same  time.  Well,  I  had  a  nice  time 
a-huntin'  and  a-fishin',  and  when  I  got  ready  to  start,  the 
old  man  had  his  critter — a  great  roan  mule — got  up,  and 
he  rid  with  me  the  first  day's  journey. 

"  When  we  parted,  I  wanted  to  pay  him,  but  he  wouldn't 
take  nothing  but  an  X  to  buy  some  wimmin's  fixins  for 
the  old  lady,  as  a  compliment  from  me.  I've  often 
thought  that  day's  ride  warn't  so  much  to  keep  me  com- 
pany, as  to  see  me  through  a  settlement  nigh  the  line, 
what  he  thought  they  might  like  me  so  well  they'd  never 
let  me  leave. 


JOE  WHITE.  123 

"  In  them  days  men  would  sometimes  come  into  towns 
tellin'  of  their  being  robbed  on  the  mail-road,  but  no 
man  plundered  in  a  frontier  settlement  ever  told  the  tale. 

"  Well,  stranger,  we  took  a  parting  grip,  and  I  never 
see  the  old  man  agin.  The  next  time  I  heard  of  him,  he'd 
been  murdered.  Yes,  Charley  Birkem,  the  best  man 
the  Almighty  ever  planted  on  this  sile,  had  been  awfully 
murdered.  Stranger,  I  can't  bear  to  think  of  it  now,  but 
when  I  heard  it  the  first  time — and  it  wer  jest  arter  I'd 
got  religion — I  couldn't  help  it — I  swore  nigh  onto  half 
an  hour,  right  straight  on  eend.  I  can  hardly  keep  my 
tongue  docious  now  to  talk  about  it. 

"  It's  a  curus  story,  and  I'll  tell  you  all  of  it  I  can 
think  on,  but  some  things  perhaps  I  may  disremember. 

"  It  seems  that  there  wer  a  goin'  to  be  a  '  raisin' '  or  a 
'  log-rollin' '  a  good  piece  off  that  the  old  man  wer  a  goin' 
to.  He  reckoned  he  had  better  put  out  in  the  evenin' 
before,  and  camp  somewhar  on  the  road,  or  get  to  stay  at 
some  of  the  neighbors'  cabins,  and  allowed  to  take  an 
airly  start  in  the  mornin'.  He  got  all  his  fixins  ready  for 
camping — his  little  wallet,  and  tin  cup,  and  larriat  to 
stake  out  his  mule  ;  put  a  couple  of  log  chains  in  his  sad- 
dle-bags, thinkin'  they  might  be  wanting  ;  got  up  his  mule, 
and  took  the  shute,  sun  two  hours  high. 

"  Two  days  after,  a  raft  of  people  came  along,  and 
stopped  at  Old  Charley's,  and  when  the  old  woman  asked 
after  him,  they  told  her  that  he  hadn't  been  at  the  frolic. 
She  wer  awful  skeart,  and  they  felt  right  curus  too. 
There  wer  one  fellow  among  'em — his  name  wer  Joe 
White  ;  he  wer  one  of  the  breed  you  never  meet  with  in 
the  white  settlements  ;  they'd  be  vagabones  there,  but  the 
backwoodsmen  can't  get  along  without  'em.  I  must  try 


124  UNCLE  BILLY'S  STORY. 

and  pictur  him  out  to  you.  Joe  wer  six  foot  and  up'ards, 
big  boned,  and  lean  ;  sot  a  horse  like  a  Cammanche  ;  good- 
natured,  and  open-handed,  when  he  had  anything,  and 
when  he  hadn't,  happier  yet ;  always  kept  two  or  three 
good  critters,  sometimes  a  dozen,  picked  up  a  pocketful  of 
rocks  when  cattle-huntin'  wer  in  season,  and  when  he'd 
nothing  else  to  do,  lazed  about  anybody's  log-pen  that  he 
pleased  ;  slept  on  his  own  blanket ;  found  the  folks  in  deer 
meat  and  turkey  ;  could  turn  his  hand  to  anything  but 
work  ;  spent  sometimes  weeks  in  the  woods  alone  or  with 
the  Indians,  and  wer  allers  ready  to  give  away  anything 
he  had,  or  do  anything  for  any  man,  'cept  work,  which  he 
said  wer  made  for  niggers.  Howsever,  he  didn't  reckon 
helpin'  pile  up  log-cabins,  or  cuttin'  down  bee-trees,  work. 
He  always  allowed  they  were  scientific. 

"  Well,  Joe  wer  the  first  one  that  answered  ;  he  told  the 
old  lady  it  were  all  right ;  that  Charley  had  stopped  to 
pilot  some  one  or  other,  or  maybe  his  mule  had  broke  the 
larriat,  or  pulled  up  the  stake,  and  he  wer  a  huntin'  him  ; 
but,  says  he,  '  I'll  be  sartin  to  hunt  him  up  ;  I  don't  car 
whar  he  is,  I'm  bound  to  light  on  him.' 

"  They  comforted  the  poor  old  madam  as  well  as  they 
could,  got  all  the  items  about  Charley's  leavin',  and  pro- 
mised to  start  right  out  and  hunt  his  trail.  They  left 
his  cabin,  startin'  off  on  the  back  track,  and  maybe 
covered  half  a  mile  or  so  without  anybody's  sayin' 
anything — they  wer  all  too  busy  a  thinkin'.  At  last 
says  Joe,  '  I  reckon,  boys,  we'd  best  light  and  talk  this 
over.' 

"  Now  Joe  had  a  heap  of  the  Indian  in  him  ;  two  things 
he  wer  mighty  cautious  about  wastin' — words  and  ammu- 
nition. In  any  sort  of  expedition,  his  word  wer  law, 


JOE  MAKES   A   SPEECH.  125 

although  he  wer  by  a  long  shot  the  poorest  man  in  the 
settlement  that  passed  for  an  honest  one. 

"  I  tell  you,  stranger,  in  the  white  settlements  men  pass 
for  what  they  look  to  be,  but  in  the  backwoods  for  what 
they  are  ;  you'll  find  plenty  of  bogus  money  here  some- 
times, but  bogus  men  can't  shine.  We're  mighty  apt  to 
weigh  'em.  They  hev  to  stand  worse  things  than  Kimi- 
kles,  and  the  gilt  wears  off  powerful  soon. 

"  Well,  when  Joe  said  the  word,  down  they  drapped, 
and  took  a  seat  on  the  convenientest  log  they  could  find, 
waitin'  for  Joe  to  open,  but  when  they  heard  what  he'd  to 
tell  'em,  they  all  riz,  and  thar  bristles  ris  too  ;  but  they 
jest  shut  thar  teeth  clus,  and  said  nothin'. 

" '  Boys/  says  Joe,  '  you  all  know  me.  I  don't  talk 
often,  ner  say  much  ;  but  now  I've  a  smart  chance  to  say, 
and  I  want  you  all  to  keep  still  till  I've  got  clear  through — 
don't  yell  nor  curss — ondly  to  yourselves.  Boys,  Charley 
Birkham's  murdered — yes,  murdered,  that's  the  word ; 
thar  warn't  no  fight  about  it ;  the  old  man  never  had  a 
quarrel  in  his  life.  You'll  wonder,  maybe,  that  I  didn't 
tell  you  afore  I  got  to  the  house  ;  I  didn't  know  it  myself, 
but  when  the  old  woman  first  asked  arter  him,  I  knew  it ; 
and  what's  more,  I  knew  who  did  it,  and  can  go  straight 
to  the  spot  whar  his  life  wer  took.  You  know,  boys,  I 
rode  a  smart  piece  ahead  of  ye.  I  allers  do  ;  I  like  to 
read  the  road.  I  can't  tell  much  'bout  what's  writ  on 
books  ;  I  ain't  much  of  a  schollard  ;  but  I  kin  read  what's 
writ  on  the  airth  pretty  plain.  Thar  hain't  been  much 
traveflin'  along  this  bridle-path  sense  we  went  on,  but 
thar  have  been  some.  Thar's  been  devils,  or  critters  worse 
than  devils,  along  here.  You  see,  the  first  thing  I  noticed 
wer  the  old  man's  mule  track  turned  out  into  that  blazed 


126  UNCLE  BILLY'S  STORY. 

road  to  Boggy.  The  old  man  hadn't  rid  him  nither. 
The  fellow  that  had,  didn't  weigh  more  nor  a  hundred 
and  fifty  at  the  outside. 

"  '  Well,  I  thought  it  wer  mighty  curus  who  could  be  on 
the  critter,  and  so  I  lit  and  looked  at  the  road  clus.  I 
seen  a  heap  !  The  mule  had  gone  on,  but  two  horses  that 
come  up  the  road  and  turned  into  the  "  blaze,"  went  up  a 
little  piece  to  a  big  water-hole,  and  follered  it  into  the 
timber,  then  rounded  agin  into  the  old  road,  and  the  men 
on  'em  had  tried  to  make  their  critters  step  as  nigh  as 
they  could  into  their  old  tracks.  The  fools  reckoned 
they'd  blinded  the  trail,  but  it  didn't  take  me  as  long  to 
find  it  all  out,  as  it  have  to  tell  the  story. 

" '  One  of  the  critters  was  old  Jake  Williams's,  and 
the  other  belonged  to  that  no  'count  whelp  and  pica- 
yune gambler,  Bill  Stone.  I've  been  a  lookin'  out  for 
them  chaps  to  get  into  mischief  for  a  long  time,  and 
took  a  sharp  sight  at  their  critters'  feet  every  time  I  got 
a  good  chance. 

" '  Jake's  has  had  the  shoe  off  the  nigh  fore  foot  for 
three  weeks  ;  t'other's  shod  forard,  both  hind  hoofs  badly 
cracked,  and  interferes.  I  could  swar  to  them  tracks 
anywhar.  Williams  wer  ridin'  on  on  'em ;  t'other 
hadn't  got  his  master  on  his  back,  but  a  boy,  or  some 
light  weight.  Well,  a  piece  further  on  I  found  out 
whar  they'd  come  out  of  the  timber  ;  it  wer  a  water- 
hole  again.  I'd  been  expectin'  another  dodge,  and  so 
looked  sharp  wheniver  I  see  one.  They'd  come  right  out 
at  this  hole,  and  what's  more,, they'd  gone  in  thar  too. 
I  went  in  about  ten  rod,  and  found  whar  the  mule  had 
been  tied  out.  She  must  heve  been  thar  seven  or  eight 
hours,  by  the  grass  she  eat ;  a  pony  had  been  hitched 


THE   MUEDERERS'  TRAIL.  127 

thar  too,  and  after  the  mule  had  been  catched  up — for 
his  rope  let  him  into  the  ring  whar  the  mule  had  stamped 
about,  and  the  pony's  hoof  marks  wer  over  the  marks  of 
t'other. 

" '  The  pony  had  stayed  perhaps  an  hour  ;  the  other 
critters  had  been  hitched  to  limbs,  and  I  pulled  'em  down 
to  see  how  tall  the  men  war.  One  of  'em  wer  just  my 
height,  and  t'other  about  three  inches  shorter.  They 
all  three  must  hev  come  into  the  timber  together — the 
lightest  one  on  the  pony — that  wer  old  Jake's  boy  Dick, 
for  Bill  Stone's  horse  had  a  heavier  rider  when  he  went 
in  than  when  he  come  out.  Bill  rode  him  in,  and  tuk 
the  mule,  and  Dick  rode  Bill's  horse  out,  and  left  the 
pony  ;  then  come  back  again  and  tuk  up  the  pony,  and 
Bill's  critter  follered  him  home. 

"  '  The  mule  had  gone  in  long  afore  they  had  ;  it  rained 
night  afore  last  a  little,  and  I  see  whar  some  drops  had 
fell  on  her  track,  but  thar  warn't  none  on  ither  of  the 
other  critters'.  If  you  go  and  ask  Jake  about  Bill 
Stone's  horse,  he'll  tell  you  Bill  stayed  thar,  night  afore 
last,  and  a  led  critter  he  had,  got  away  from  him,  and  he 
and  Dick  went  out  and  helped  him  catch  it,  and  that 
they  brought  his  own  horse  back  to  keep  till  he  come 
back  again.  If  he  don't  tell  you  this,  jest  say  Joe 
White's  a  liar.  You  see  they've  been  a  leetle  too  smart ; 
thar  warn't  no  use  of  makin'  all  that  trail ;  thar  warn't 
no  use  of  tyin'  out  the  pony  ;  they  might  hev  turned 
him  loose^  I  see,  too,  whar  they'd  changed  saddles.  It 
takes  a.  smart  strain  to  pull  up  one  of  these  Spanish 
girts  tight,  and  it  throws  a  man  hard  on  his  heels.  I 
saw  the  marks  of  Bill's  and  the  boy's.  I  looked  around 
and  saw  whar  all  three  had  sot  on  a  log  ;  I  measured 


128  UNCLE  BILLY'S  STORY. 

the  length  of  the  feet,  and  I  found,  too,  whar  that  fool 
of  a  boy  had  cut  a  big  gad.  I  cut  off  a  piece  from  the 
butt  he  left,  and  it's  got  the  mark  of  the  knife  on  it ; 
thar's  two  big  gaps  in  the  blade.  We'll  get  that  knife 
afore  long,  and  see  if  it  don't  make  marks  alike.  Well, 
I  was  shure  some  mischief  had  been  done,  and  reckoned 
Old  Charley's  mule  had  been  stole,  so  I  come  out  at  the 
water-hole  whar  they'd  gone  in  and  come  out,  and  rode 
along  watchin'  the  road  mighty  sharp.  When  you  come 
up  with  me,  I  wer  lookin'  whar  the  mule  had  come  out  of 
the  timber  on  the  other  side  ;  he  carried  a  heavy  load 
then ;  Old  Jake  and  Dick  must  both  have  been  on  him. 
Well,  I  rode  on  a  piece  further,  and  thar  had  been  a 
camp-fire  lately  ;  it  wer  a  smokin'  yet,  and  right  agin 
it,  wer  the  trail  whar  Charley  had  rid  his  mule  in.  I 
wer  skeared  then ;  but  as  two  nights  had  passed,  and 
we'd  had  a  sprinklin'  of  rain,  I  warn't  sartin,  but  I  am 
now. 

"  '  Well,  men,  you've  heerd  my  story.  Shall  I  go  on 
and  tell  you  how  I  think  we'd  best  go  to  work,  or 
prehaps  some  of  the  rest  would  like  to  have  thar  say  ?' 

"  All  the  company,  however,  said  no,  and  so  Joe  went 
on: — 

" '  First,'  says  he,  '  I  must  tell  you  how  it  all  happened. 
The  old  woman  said  Charley  didn't  take  his  fire-works. 
Now,  you  see,  he  stopped  at  Jake  Williams's  and  got  a 
chunk  of  fire,  and  then  camped  down  about  half  a  milo 
further  on.  Old  Jake  and  Dick  went  down  to  the  camp 
in  the  night,  and  killed  him — knocked  him  in  the  head,  I 
reckon.  They  must  have  heard  the  log-chains  chink 
in  the  saddle-bags  when  he  stopped  thar,  and  thought 
Charley  had  a  smart  chance  of  money  with  him.  They 


THE  CAMPAIGN  CHALKED  OUT.         129 

wer  disappointed,  and  got  into  this  awful  scrape  for 
nothing. 

"  '  I  reckon  they  left  the  poor  old  man's  body  thar, 
and  took  the  mule  off  up  the  road  a  piece,  and  then 
into  the  timber,  and  tied  him  out.  Then  they  must 
have  gone  home  and  found  Bill  Stone  thar.  Some  time 
afore  mornin'  they  all  three  started  out  on  horseback, 
and  rode  to  whar  the  mule  wer  hitched,  then  went  on 
foot  and  hid  the  old  man's  body,  then  back  to  thar  horses 
agin,  and  went  out,  jest  as  I've  told  you,  to  the  blazed 
road,  and  then  parted.  Jake  will  tell  us  that  his  son 
turned  back,  and  he  went  onto  the  road,  and  into  the 
timber  whar  they  found  Bill's  critter,  and  Bill  kept  on 
arter  he'd  changed  his  saddle,  and  that  he  led  the  other 
horse  back. 

"  '  Now  I'll  tell  you  what  we  must  do.  The  first  thing 
is  to  hunt  up  that  varmint  Bill  Stone.  That's  my  job. 
The  rest  of  you  ride  on  to  Jake's,  hear  what  he's  got  to 
say,  and  make  sarch  for  Old  Charley,  but  shut  pan  on 
everything  I've  said.  Act  jest  as  if  you  knowed  nothing 
till  you've  hearn  from  me.  Keep  your  eyes  skinned  and 
your  rifles  clean,  and  the  minute  you  get  item  that  I'm 
back,  catch  up  your  horses,  meet  me  at  the  cross-roads, 
and  bring  all  the  good  men  in  the  settlement  with  you. 
If  we  don't  come  out  in  force  and  do  things  open  and 
above  board,  we'll  hev  a  tall  fight  with  the  gang  ;  but  if  we 
show-  'em  we're  too  strong  for  'em  to  meddle  with,  and  not 
afeard  to  do  our  duty  in  the  face  of  God  and  man,  we'll 
cow  'em  like  whipped  hounds.'  " 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

UNCLE  BILLY'S  STORY  CONCLUDED — THE  FATE  OF  THE 
MURDERERS. 

"  WELL,  gentlemen,  after  Joe  had  said  his  say,  they  had 
some  talk  among  themselves.  Some  on  'em  allowed 
things  warn't  so  bad,  and  some  reckoned  they'd  best 
lynch  Old  Williams  on  the  turn,  but  at  last  all  agreed  to 
take  Joe's  advice.  Joe  shuk  hands  all  round,  warned  'em 
to  keep  shady,  mounted  his  critter,  and  rode  off.  After 
he'd  gone,  the  rest  of  the  company  went  down  to  Old  Wil- 
liams's,  and  heard  pretty  much  such  a  story  as  Joe  said 
they  would.  Williams  said  the  old  man  had  stopped  and 
got  a  chunk  of  fire,  wouldn't  stay,  and  said  he  wer  agoin' 
to  camp  out  a  piece  up  the  road.  They  got  Williams  to 
go  with  'em  and  hunt,  but  didn't  find  anything,  only  one 
of  'em  traded  knives  with  the  boy,  and  when  they  ex- 
amined the  blade,  after  they  rode  off,  they  see  the  marks 
on  it  wer  just  like  them  on  the  stick  that  Joe  cut. 

"  What  trail  Joe  took,  I  don't  rightly  know,  but  reckon 
none  in  pertikeler,  for  he  knew  the  woods  like  a  book, 
and  had  a  pretty  good  idee  whar  Bill  Stone  would  fotch 
up.  Joe  had  a  rifle  and  blanket  for  himself,  and  a  stout 
caberos  for  his  horse,  and  so  didn't  show  himself  much, 
nor  bother  anybody  about  feedin'  ither  him  er  his  critter. 
It's  shure  though,  that  he  struck  Bill's  trail,  and  follered  it 
like  an  Ingun.  When  Joe  got  nigh  to  Nachitosh,  he 
bunted  up  one  or  two  men  of  his  own  sort,  that  wer  down 


BILL   STONE   TREED.  131 

sellin'  thar  skins,  told  'em  what  business  he  wer  on,  and 
they  agreed  to  back  him  up.  After  thar  plans  wer  fixed, 
Joe  rode  into  town,  and  a  funny  lookin'  critter  he  wer  ; 
an  Ingun  wouldn't  hev  knowed  him,  nor  his  critter 
nither.  He'd  stained  her  up  with  poke  berries  and  red 
clay,  clipped  her  long  tail,  hogged  her  mane,  and  as  for 
him,  a  hump  had  sprouted  rite  suddint  on  his  shoulders  ; 
he  sot  in  his  saddle  drawed  up  like  a  Cammanche,  his  face 
so  dirty  you  couldn't  tell  what  the  color  ought  to  be,  and 
he  wer  a  reelin'  as  if  he  wer  drunk  as  a  lord.  He  knew 
Bill  warn't  more  than  three  hours  ahead  of  him  when  he 
stopped  at  the  hunters'  camp ;  and  he  knew,  too,  that  the 
varmint  couldn't  pass  a  grocery  without  callin'  ;  and  so, 
when  he  saw  the  old  roan  mule  hitched  afore  the  Brian- 
Boru  House,  he  warn't  surprised  a  bit,  but  made  a  bee 
line  for  the  store  of  a  merchant  in  the  place.  The 
clerks  didn't  know  him,  and  sot  in  to  makin'  fun,  till  old 
Mr.  R.  come  in.  Joe  soon  let  him  know  who  he  wer  and 
what  he  wer  after.  Mr.  R.  wer  Old  Charley's  merchant, 
and  the  best  man  Joe  could  have  asked  help  from.  They 
settled  things  between  'em,  and  Joe  went  over  to  the 
tavern,  and  thar  shure  enough  sot  Bill  Stone,  down  at 
poker,  and  little  more'n  half  whiskey'd.  It  didn't  take 
Joe  long  to  scrape  acquaintance  with  the  nice  set,  and 
while  they  wer  drinkin'  with  him,  in  walks  Mr.  R. 

"  '  Hallo,  gentle/Tien,'  says  he, '  can  you  tell  me  who  owns 
that  great  roan  mule  hitched  out  here  ?' 

" '  I  reckon,'  says  Bill  Stone, '  you'll  hev  to  take  me  for 
owner  if  you  can't  find  any  better.' 

"  '  Will  you  sell  him,  if  you  can  get  your  price  ?'  asked 
Mr.  R. 

" '  I  ha'n't  thought  of  sellin'  him/  said  Bill ;  '  Least- 


132  UNCLE  BILLY'S  STORY  CONCLUDED. 

ways,  I  hadn't,  till  you  asked  me  the  question.  What'll 
you  give,  stranger,  for  the  mule,  bridle,  saddle,  riggin', 
and  all  ?' 

"  '  Why/  answered  Mr.  R., '  seein'  he's  a  likely  critter, 
and  the  riggin's  sort  of  so  so ,  I  wouldn't  mind  givin'  a 
fifty  for  him.' 

"  '  'Twont  half  do/  says  Bill.  '  Say  a  hundred,  and  take 
him.' 

" '  Well/  answered  Mr.  R., '  I  don't  mind  a  few  dollars 
when  a  critter  suits  my  fancy,  but  it's  a  big  pile  to  give 
for  a  saddle  mule.  You  look  out  for  the  beast  till  dark  ; 
I've  got  no  place  to  put  him,  and  don't  want  to  be 
bothered  with  him  till  I  get  ready  to  go  home,  then 
bring  him  over  to  the  store,  and  I'll  give  you  the  hun- 
dred.' 

"  Bill  agreed,  and  sot  down  to  his  cards  agin.  Joe  sot 
nigh  him,  pretending  to  be  mighty  interested  with  the 
game,  and  takin'  Bill's  part  whenever  any  dispute  wer 
riz  ;  the  mule  all  the  time  being  watched  sharp  by  Joe's 
friends,  who  wer  haugin'  round  outside. 

"  The  game  wer  pretty  tight,  and  they  stayed  nigh  onto 
an  hour  later  than  the  time  sot,  but  Bill  finally  settled  up 
at  the  bar,  and  started  off  for  Mr.  R.'s  store,  Joe  takin' 
himself  off  as  soon  as  he  see  him  on  the  right  track,  and 
his  friends  on  the  lookout. 

"  Bill  hitched  his  mule  and  went  in.  Mr.  R.  called 
him  into  a  back  room,  and  began  counting  out  the  money, 
and  while  Bill  wer  watchin'  the  dollars  the  merchant  wer 
a  pilin'  up,  in  walked  Joe,  his  hump-back  gone,  his  face 
clean,  and  he  as  sober  as  a  judge — ought  to  be.  Bill 
knew  him,  and  if  the  old  sarpint  himself  had  popped  his 
head  through  the  puncheon  floor  and  claimed  him  for  his 


THE  TEAP   SPRUNG.  133 

brand  and  crap,  he  couldn't  hev  been  more  skeared.  He 
made  a  dash  for  the  back  door,  and  rushed  right  into  the 
hands  of  Joe's  two  men,  who  had  been  put  thar  to  stop 
the  gap.  When  he  saw  he  wer  trapped,  he  come  in  quiet 
enough,  and  wanted  to  know  what  he  wer  picked  up  for. 
Joe  looked  him  right  in  the  face  and  said  : — 

"  '  Bill,  Old  Charley  Birkham  sent  me  arter  you  and  the 
mule.' 

"  Bill  turned  powerful  white  about  the  gills,  and  wer 
just  fixin'  to  give  tongue,  and  try  and  skeer  up  some  of 
his  friends,  but  they  tied  his  hands  and  gagged  him  afore 
you  could  crack  a  rifle.  They  mounted  him  on  the  mule, 
tied  his  feet  to  the  stirrups,  fastened  them  to  each  other 
by  a  strap  under  the  critter's  belly,  put  a  running  noose 
round  his  neck,  tied  the  other  end  of  the  rope  to  the  ring 
behind  the  saddle,  fastened  his  hands  to  the  pommel,  and 
started  off,  leading  the  mule  by  a  back  way  to  the  hunters' 
camp.  Then  Bill's  mouth  were  unstrapped,  and  Joe  said 
to  him, — 

"  '  Now  look  heah,  Bill,  you've  got  to  tell  these  men  the 
hull  truth — 1  know  it  already — and  if  you  bolt  an  inch 
from  the  straight  track,  "  Sweetlips" '  (slapping  his  dead 
sure  rifle),  '  will  make  it  the  last  words  you  iver  speak. 
You've  got  five  minutes  to  think  about  it,  and  if  you  don't 
open  in  that  time,  or  if  you  begin  to  palava  about  inno- 
cence and  marcy,  the  first  word  brings  a  ball  through  your 
head? 

" '  I  tell  ye,  gentlemen,  Bill  thought  a  good  deal,  and 
thought  pretty  fast.  He  knew  Joe  White,  and  he  knew 
that  nothing  would  scar  him  off  a  track  when  he'd  once 
barked  on  it ;  he  didn't  dar  to  lie,  for  he  nither  knew  how 
much  Joe  had  learned,  ner  how  he  found  it  out,  and  ho 


134  UNCLE  BILLY'S  STOEY  CONCLUDED. 

didn't  dar  to  hold  his  tongue.  He  thought  tliar  might 
be  some  chance  of  his  given  Joe  the  slip  on  the  road,  or 
of  some  of  the  gang's  rescuing  him.  So  he  up  and  told 
the  truth. 

"  It  seems  that  he  and  Williams  had  laid  a  plan  to  rob 
and  murder  the  old  man,  if  they  couldn't  get  the  money 
they  thought  he  had  without  it  ;  but  Bill  wer  not  at  Wil- 
liams's  cabin  when  .Old  Charley  stopped  thar.  The  boy 
had  lifted  the  saddle-bags,  and  as  soon  as  the  old  man 
left,  told  his  father  and  mother  they  wer  full  of  money. 
After  holding  a  short  council,  they  agreed  to  do  the  job 
that  night.  They  waited  some  time  for  Stone,  but  he 
didn't  come  ;  the  man  and  boy  set  out,  found  Charley 
asleep,  and  Williams  killed  him  with  a  club.  After  the 
deed  wer  done,  they  found  that  the  devil  had  fooled  'em, 
and  thar  wer  no  money  in  the  saddle-bags.  They  mounted 
the  mule  and  hid  him  whar.Joe  had  seen  his  sign  ;  then 
returned  to  the  cabin,  and  all  three  started  to  hide  the 
body.  Thar  wer  a  branch  (brook]  nigh  the  camp,  and  put- 
ting the  body  on  a  kind  of  litter,  they  carried  it  off,  walk- 
ing in  the  stream  so  as  to  wash  their  trail.  They  found 
whar  a  large  oak  had  blowed  over,  and  in  the  hole  the 
roots  had  turned  up,  they  dug  the  grave,  placed  the  body 
in  it,  and  after  covering  it  up,  put  the  litter  and  some 
light  stuff  over  it,  and  set  it  on  fire,  thinkin'  that,  as  the 
timber  had  been  lately  burnt  over,  the  grave  wer  entirely 
cached,  and  then  they  returned  by  the  branch. 

"  It  all  turned  out  jest  as  Joe  had  said,  and  he  could 
hardly  keep  his  fingers  from  pulling  trigger,  but  he  only 
put  the  gag  in  Bill's  mouth  agin,  and  got  ready  for  a 
start. 

"  The  hunters  had  several  led  horses.     So  leavin'  one 


THE   CABIN   SURPRISED.  135 

man  to  finish  the  tradin',  and  takin'  a  spar  critter  apiece, 
Joe  and  his  two  friends  sot  out,  with  Bill  on  the  mule, 
They  travelled  all  night  by  the  road,  and  when  day  broke, 
took  to  the  bush,  camped  down  a  smart  piece  of  the  trail, 
stayed  till  noon,  cotched  up  thar  fresh  critters,  took  a  bee 
line  through  the  timber,  and  when  night  come,  pushed  for 
the  trail  again.  Twice,  one  of  'em  wer  sent  to  some  out- 
of-the-way  cabin  to  buy  corn  for  the  horses,  tellin'  the  peo- 
ple it  were  for  a  party  of  movers,  who  wer  travellin'  the 
road.  Shoving  along  this  way,  they  reached  the  cross- 
roads about  sundown,  a  little  inside  of  four  days.  All 
this  time  Bill  wer  never  one  minute  unwatched,  awake  nor 
asleep  ;  he  warn't  let  to  speak,  though  he  wer  fed  and 
not  abused,  and  he  had  pretty  much  made  up  his  mind 
he  wer  a  gone  coon.  Joe's  two  friends  rode  off  to  give 
item  of  his  being  back,  and  afore  midnight,  the  men  come 
in  pretty  thick,  but  mostly  one  by  one,  and  mighty  quiet. 

"  When  Joe  had  force  enough  to  be  right  sure  of  every- 
thing, he  made  a  break  for  Williams's  cabin,  leavin'  orders 
at  the  cross-roads  for  all  that  might  come,  to  ride  on  and 
jine  him. 

"  '  When  they  come  to  Williams's  clearin',  a  part  closed 
round  the  clearin',  so's  to  stop  ivery  hole,  while  Joe  and 
two  others  went  up  to  the  cabin — Joe  holdin'  Bill  by  the 
throat,  and  a  pistol  at  his  head,  and  orders  wer  given  to 
shoot  him  down  if  he  made  the  first  move  towards  gettin' 
off.  They  knocked  pretty  loud  at  the  door,  and  heard 
Williams  stampin'  round — the  dog  had  woke  him  up. 
Presently  he  sings  out — 

"  '  Who's  thar  ?' 

"  '  Hit's  me,'  says  Bill. 

" '  Is  that  you,  Bill  Stone  ?'  asked  old  Jake. 


136  UNCLE  BILLY'S  STORY  CONCLUDED. 

"  '  Yes,  it's  me.     Open  the  door,  quick,'  answered  Bill. 

"  Williams  opened  the  shutter  (door),  all  the  time  cussin' 
Bill  for  '  a  dern  no  'count  fool.'  The  miuit  thar  wer  a 
chance,  in  jumped  the  two  men  and  fastened  on  the  rascal. 
He  sung  out  loud  for  the  boy  and  old  woman  to  shoot  'em 
down,  but  afore  ither  could  do  anything,  the  others  rushed 
in  and  had  them  fast  too.  When  the  old  man  saw  Bill 
Stone,  he  knew  it  wer  all  up  with  him  if  he  didn't  get 
help  from  his  gang  ;  the  boy  wer  stuffy,  and  didn't  whim- 
per. Nither  made  any  fuss,  but  the  old  woman  let  on 
powerful,  till  the  old  man  said  a  word  to  her,  and  then 
she  shut  up  too. 

"  Joe  now  picked  out  a  dozen  men  that  could  be  de- 
pended on,  more  to  keep  the  crowd  from  lynchin'  the  vil- 
lains than  anything  else. 

"  By  sun  up,  nigh  onto  seventy  men  had  got  together, 
and  about  all  of  the  right  kind.  They  chose  a  smart 
chap,  Col.  Spicer,  an  old  settler,  to  be  judge,  and  he 
picked  out  twelve  men  for  a  jury. 

"Well,  gentlemen,  they  didn't  make  any  such  long 
jobs  in  them  days  in  the  backwoods,  as  they  did  in  the 
white  settlement ;  they'd  no  place  to  put  thar  prisoners, 
and  as  soon  as  the  jury  wer  ready,  the  Judge  said  he'd 
go  to  trial. 

"  A  party  had  been  sent  out,  and  found  the  old  man's 
body  ;  the  log-chains  wer  lugged  out  of  the  fodder  stack, 
whar  Bill  Stone  had  told  them  they  wer  hid  ;  the  jury  all 
agreed  they  were  guilty,  and  the  Judge  sentenced  the 
men  and  the  boy  to  be  hung  in  an  hour.  The  old  woman 
wer  to  be  sent  out  of  the  range  ;  the  improvements  to  be 
valued,  and  she  to  be  paid  for  'em  ;  but  if  she  ventured 
back,  she  wer  to  be  served  like  the  rest.  The  old  man 


GATHEEING   OF   THE    CLAN.  137 

and  boy  stuck  to  it  they  wer  innocent,  and  the  old 
woman  prayed,  howled,  and  cursed,  pretty  much  all  to 
onst. 

"  As  soon  as  the  Judge  had  got  through,  the  men  and 
boy  wer  took  to  the  spot  whar  the  murder  had  been 
done. 

"  While  all  this  wer  going  on,  the  gang  of  which  Old 
Williams  wer  a  sort  of  chief,  hadn't  been  idle.  Bill  wer 
missed  the  night  he  wer  took  away,  but  it  wer  done  so 
shady,  that  not  a  clerk  in  R.'s  store  knew  anything  about 
it.  Next  mornin'  Mr.  R.  come  down  to  the  store  quite 
late,  and  when  he  wer  questioned  about  Bill,  told  'em 
he'd  been  took  by  a  company  that  wer  after  him,  and 
wer  on  his  way  back  to  Texas,  to  be  tried  for  murder. 

"  This  made  a  fuss  in  camp,  I  reckon,  and  a  party  put 
out  after  Joe.  They  tried  to  slow  track  him  at  first, 
and  wasted  nigh  onto  a  day,  and  then  did  what  they 
ought  to  hev  done  at  first — made  a  bee-line  for  Birkhain's 
settlement.  They  pushed  ahead  night  and  day,  and  got 
into  the  diggins  about  six  hours  after  Joe.  By  this  time 
the  whole  country  were  up,  and  the  Nackitosh  party  got 
together  a  company  of  about  twenty  of  prehaps  the  biggest 
rascals  in  the  whole  South. 

"  They  allowed  they  had  force  enough  to  do  pretty 
much  as  they  pleased,  but  when  they  come  to  the  ground, 
found  out  they  wer  a  barkin'  up  the  wrong  tree.  They 
had  with  them  a  long-legged  chap,  a  sorter  jack-leg 
lawyer,  and  he  advised  'em  to  try  and  get  the  punishment 
put  off  by  peaceable  means,  and  that  would  give  a  chance 
to  run  'em  off. 

"  When  they  rode  up  and  mixed  with  the  crowd,  the 
lawyer  and  one  or  two  more  of  'em  made  tracks  for 


138  UNCLE  BILLY'S  STORY  CONCLUDED. 

the  prisoners,  but  they  had  a  dozen  rifles  cocked  and 
drawed  on  'em,  and  got  thar  orders  about  keepin'  off. 
Then  the  lawyer  begun  to  talk  pretty  loud  about  the  out- 
rage to  free  citizens,  and  all  that,  and  said  he  demanded 
to  be  heerd.  Col.  Spicer  now  see  it  had  gone  far  enough, 
and  turnin'  round  to  the  new  comers,  said  in  his  deter- 
mined way : — 

"  '  Men,  you  come  in  rayther  too  late  in  this  business  to 
hev  much  to  say,  and  I  reckon  if  some  of  you  had 
stayed  away  all-together,  you  wouldn't  hev  been  missed. 
If  any  of  you  don't  know  what  this  gathering  means,  I'll 
tell  you.  Those  two  men  and  that  boy  hev  had  a  far 
trial,  and  hev  been  found  guilty  of  the  murder  of  our  old 
friend,  Charley  Birkham.  This  isn't  the  first  time  they've 
deserved  death,  we  all  know,  but  this  time  they're  bound 
to  get  what  they've  arned.  The  old  woman  is  as  bad  as 
ither,  but  she's  a  woman  ;  law  would  hang  her,  but  we'll 
let  her  run,  only  she  must  keep  clar  of  these  diggins. 
Now,  Squire,  you've  got  some  men  in  your  crowd  that 
don't  suit  us  much  ;  the  less  they  hev  to  say,  the  better,  or 
they  may  come  in  for  a  share,  and  I  advise  you  all  to  keep 
a  sharp  look-out  for  the  future. 

"  '  These  men  hev  just  half  an  hour  to  live,  and  if  you, 
Squire,  want  to  make  a  speech,  go  ahead,  and  see  that  you 
don't  overrun  your  time,  and  mind  that  none  of  you  med- 
dle with  our  doins.' 

"  Well,  stranger,  the  lawyer  got  up  and  lumbered  away 
at  a  powerful  rate,  while  they  put  the  prisoners  on  horses, 
slipped  the  nooses  round  their  necks,  and  made  the  other 
end  of  the  ropes  fast  to  the  limbs  overhead.  When  the 
half  hour  wer  up,  at  a  signal  from  the  Colonel,  his  whole 
crowd  drew  round  the  tree,  ivery  man  with  his  rifle  cocked 


FALL   OF   THE    CURTAIN.  139 

and  his  trigger  sot.  Spicer  raised  his  hand  to  stop  the 
speech,  but  the  lawyer  wouldn't  shut  pan,  till  a  look 
brought  Joe  White's  rifle  to  his  cheek  ;  he  drew  a  bead 
mighty  peert,  and  the  lawyer  quit  his  lumbering  and 
moved  off.  . 

"  The  man  who  held  Bill  Stone's  critter  let  go  the  bri-. 
die,  and  Bill  wer  told  ef  he  had  anything  to  say,  he  must 
out  with  it  quick. 

"  Bill  owned  up,  and  prayed  to  be  forgive,  and  soon  as 
he  wer  done,  some  one  hit  the  horse  a  smart  blow,  and  Bill 
wer  a  swingin'  in  the  air. 

"  The  old  man's  turn  come  next,  and  he  died  cussing  the 
hull  of  'em.  The  boy  wer  stuffy  enough  till  the  old  man 
swung  off,  and  then  he  give  in,  and  told  the  truth.  Spicer 
said  a  good  deal  to  him  about  the  awful  crime  he'd  had  a 
hand  in,  and  then  told  him  they  had  made  up  their  minds 
to  save  him,  in  hopes  that  what  he  had  seen  and  felt 
might  prove  a  warnin'. 

"  The  bodies  of  the  murderers  were  buried  on  the  spot 
whar  they  died.  The  old  woman  and  boy  wer  moved 
next  day  outen  the  range,  and  I  reckon  went  clar  to  Ala- 
bama. Old  Charley's  wife  wer  took  good  car  on  while 
she  lived,  which  wasn't  long  ;  and  this,  gentlemen,  is  the 
end  of  my  story. 

"  Now,  Cunnle,  let's  hev  some  of  your  first  experence." 


CHAPTER  XIY. 

THE  COLONEL'S  STORY — A  SHIPWRECK — AND  A  SCRIMMAGE. 

"  MY  first  experience  of  the  country,  as  you  say,  Mr. 
Roberts,  was  of  the  rudest.  I  came  here  to  survey  and 
locate  lands — some  of  the  very  ones,  by  the  way,  in  which 
you  became  afterwards  jointly  interested,  and  which  are 
now  giving  us  so  much  trouble.  I  brought  a  surveying 
party  with  me,  and  a  nice  time  we  had  of  it.  We  char- 
tered a  small  schooner,  and  set  sail  to  find  Galveston  Bay, 
if  possible.  No  easy  job,  for  then  the  city  had  not  been 
invented,  and  the  flat  island  of  sand  that  lies  across  the 
mouth  of  the  Bay,  with  here  and  there  a  stunted  tree, 
presented  no  very  serviceable  landmark  to  the  mariner. 

"  We  boxed  about  for  a  week  or  ten  days,  and  then 
in  a  fog  ran  plump  into  the  mouth  of  the  Brazos.  It  was 
a  mere  matter  of  luck  and  chance  that  we  did  not  go  to 
the  dogs.  The  fog  happening  to  lift  for  a  moment,  we 
saw  where  we  were,  but  how  we  got  there,  or  how  we 
were  to  get  away,  not  one  of  us  could  tell.  I  said  we  saw 
where  we  were,  but  do  not  mean  that  we  recognised  the 
spot,  by  any  means.  We  only  knew  that  we  had  run  up 
the  mouth  of  a  river  without  knocking  our  bottom  out, 
but  what  river  was  the  question.  The  captain  being  a 
true  republican,  and  having  moreover  entirely  lost  his 
latitude,  called  a  meeting,  inducted  himself  in  the  chair, 
and  put  our  position  to  vote.  He,  was  of  the  opinion  that 
it  was  the  Sabine  ;  /,  rather  favored  the  idea  that  we  had 


A  MEETING,   AND   A   PARTING.  Ill 

made  the  Brazos.  As  neither  of  us  had  any  notion  of  tho 
appearance  of  either  river,  our  opinions  were  certainly 
unprejudiced.  The  mass,  or  more  properly,  mast  meeting 
— for  the  chairman  supported  himself  against  one  of  those 
important  sticks  of  timber — were  somewhat  divided  in 
opinion,  especially  as  we  had  only  obtained  a  single 
glimpse  of  one  shore,  and  then  dropped  anchor  immedi- 
ately, for  fear  that  we  might  soon  get  an  altogether  too 
well  grounded  idea  of  our  whereabouts.  One  suggested 
that  we  were  probably  somewhere ;  another,  that  he 
rather  thought  we  were  nowhere  at  all  ;  but  at  last  the 
captain,  having  the  firm  support  of  two  sailors,  the  cook, 
and  the  cabin  boy,  and  moreover  the  idea  that  being  a 
seaman,  he  ought  to  know,  although  he  owned  that  he  did 
not,  carried  the  day. 

"  Having  christened  the  stream  the  Sabine,  our  next 
step  was  to  get  away  from  it  as  soon  as  possible,  and 
accordingly,  the  first  moment  the  fog  permitted  us  to  see 
ten  yards  ahead,  we  up  anchor  and  clawed  out  as  gingerly 
as  possible.  Getting  in,  was  a  feat  to  be  remembered,  but 
getting  out  without  being  set  upon  shore,  or  run  on  a  bar 
by  the  current,  was  but  little  short  of  a  miracle. 

"  About  every  third  vessel  that  attempted  the  entrance, 
even  under  the  most  favorable  auspices,  was  lost ;  for 
without  a  sign  of  a  bay,  or  anything  of  a  mouth  to  speak 
of,  the  Brazos  runs  plump  into  the  Gulf,  over  a  very  ugly 
bar,  aifd  between  the  worst  kind  of  breakers.  As  soon  as 
we  were  fairly  clear,  the  captain  '  about  ship,'  and  shaped 
a  southerly  course,  probably  in  the  direction  of  Yera 
Cruz. 

"  Away  we  went,  feeling  our  way,  and  trying  to  find  a 
hole  somewhere  in  the  coast,  until  bread  and  water  ran 


142  THE  COLONEL'S  STORY. 

short — I  say  the  bread  and  water  ran,  for  the  bread  was 
quite  capable  of  going  alone.  Then  we  called  another 
meeting,  and  this  time  I  was  declared,  nem.  con.,  to  have 
been  in  the  right.  Our  private  stores,  laid  up  for  the  sur- 
veying expedition,  were  walked  into,  and  bacon  and 
brandy  suffered  some.  It  was  now  about  ship  again,  and 
after  near  a  week  we  hailed  a  craft  that  informed  us  that 
we  were  right  off  Ship  Island  shoals,  about  halfway 
between  Galveston  Island  and  the  Balize.  My  temper 
rather  gave  out.  /  called  the  captain  a  Judy,  and  talked 
of  deposing  him.  He  accused  me  of  being  a  Jonah,  and 
threw  out  some  idea  of  throwing  me  overboard.  Now,  as 
acting  the  part  of  Jonah  in  full,  and  without  any  cutting, 
implies  something  to  be  done  in  whaling,  I  turned  to  and 
gave  him  a  good  one  ;  my  men  and  the  crew  joining  in 
the  amusement.  It  did  a  great  de^il  of  good,  so  much  so, 
that  the  very  next  night  he  not  only  found  Galveston 
Island,  but  nearly  ran  over  it.  The  wind  being  light,  and 
off  shore,  we  were  fortunate  enough  to  save  ourselves  and 
our  bacon,  together  with  most  of  our  provisions  and 
instruments.  The  vessel  was  past  praying  for,  and  as  she 
was  sure  to  go  to  the  dogs,  the  captain  proposed  to  go 
with  me  to  the  Indians.  I  have  no  idea  of  giving  you 
my  whole  Texan  history  in  detail,  but  will  only  say  of  the 
surveying,  that  it  was  rather  difficult,  as  usually  neither 
corner,  nor  anything  like  a  boundary-line  could  be  found. 
The  Mexican  mode  of  measuring  land  was,  perhaps,  origi- 
nal and  very  ingenious,  but  far  from  satisfactory  to  the 
man  who  wanted  to  ascertain  the  extent  of  his  posses- 
sions. 

"  An  Indian  was  usually  placed  upon  a  horse,  and  fur- 
nished— the  Indian,  not  the  horse — with  three  cigars. 


SMOKING  OUT  A  SURVEY.  143 

He  set  off  upon  a  gallop,  and  as  much  land  as  he  could 
ride  around  while  his  cigars  were  being  smoked  up,  was 
called  a  league.  I  suppose  they  gave  them  a  certain 
length  of '  old  soldier '  to  define  the  exact  quantity  of  a 
'  labore'  (eighty  acres). 

''  You  will  perceive  that  the  size  of  the  league  depended 
entirely  upon  the  horse's  legs  and  the  length  of  the  cigars. 
I  can  assure  you  that  it  was  a  nice  piece  of  work  to  smoke 
out  these  boundaries. 

"  As  we  were  upon  the  buffalo  ground,  we  had  no 
want  of  either  fun  or  fresh  meat.  We  had  purchased 
good  horses,  and  hired  two  good  guides — old  hunters, 
that  knew  exactly  what  they  were  about.  As  our  buffalo 
hunting  was  only  for  a  supply  of  meat,  and  not  for  an 
indiscriminate  slaughter  of  the  animals  for  the  sake  of 
their  skins,  we  seldom  failed  in  obtaining  what  we  sought 
for,  and  this  was  our  mode  of  proceeding.  Buffaloes 
have  a  regular  drinking-place,  and  visit  it  regularly  at 
a  certain  hour.  Now  our  hunters  soon  found  out  those 
places  that  were  in  our  neighborhood,  and  watched  the 
drove  when  they  came  down.  As  soon  as  the  huge 
brutes  had  filled  their  skins  nigh  to  bursting,  off  they 
went  in  a  clumsy  gallop.  Then  the  men  dashed  out 
from  their  hiding-places,  and  rushed  their  horses  at  the 
end  of  the  drove.  Selecting  a  young  and  fat  cow,  that 
might  be  walloping  along  on  the  outside,  and  among 
the  last,  the  hunter  would  run  his  trained  horse  right 
alongside,  and  clapping  a  holster  pistol  to  the  shaggy 
brute's  ear,  pop  a  bullet  in  her  brain.  Nothing  could 
be  more  simple,  more  easy,  or  more  safe,  provided  the 
man  was  up  to  the  business  and  the  horse  well  trained. 
So  well  did  this  kind  of  life  agree  with  me,  that  had 


144  THE  COLONEL'S  STORY. 

it  not  been  for  a  wife  and  children  in  old  Alabama,  and 
certain  qualms  at  night-fall  about  the  uncertainty  of  find- 
ing my  hair  in  its  usual  place  in  the  morning,  I  do  not 
know  but  that  I  might  have  gone  on,  Robinson  Crusoeing 
it  yet. 

"  At  last,  however,  our  work  was  completed,  and  all  my 
party,  with  the  exception  of  two,  had  left  for  the  States, 
going  by  the  upper  route  and  Traumel's  Trace,  and  we, 
the  remainder,  went  off  west. 

"  The  troubles  had  already  commenced,  and  the  Mexican 
garrisons  had  been  expelled  from  Nacogdoches  and  Anna- 
huac.  We  were  packing  our  portmanteaus  to  start  upon 
our  homeward  route,  when  news  were  brought  that  the 
Mexicans  were  advancing  upon  Gonzales  ;  and  anxious  to 
have  a  chance  at  them,  we  left  for  the  scene  of  the  antici- 
pated scrimmage  immediately. 

"  When  we  arrived,  the  village  was  in  a  precious  state 
of  confusion,  its  dozen  men  and  boys  running  about  fright- 
ened to  death,  and  doing  nothing,  and  the  women  tearing 
their  hair  and  what  little  linen  they  possessed.  The  Mexi- 
cans were  said  to  be  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  a  few 
miles  below. 

"  We  immediately  collected  every  sheet,  counterpane, 
and  tablecloth  that  the  village  could  boast  of,  and  setting 
men  and  boys  to  work  at  cutting  and  carrying  poles,  soon 
erected  at  the  back  of  the  village  what  appeared  to  be 
tents  enough  for  a  respectable  encampment. 

"  Two  crotches,  with  a  pole  across  them,  and  a  couple 
of  sheets  thrown  over  it,  with  their  ends  carried  out  and 
fastened  to  the  ground,  makes  quite  a  personable  tent — 
when  viewed  at  a  distance — I  can  assure  you. 

"Having  everything    properly  prepared  in  the  tent 


LADIES    PANT-ING    FOB    THE   EXEMY.  145 

line,  it  was  only  necessary  to  mount  a  sufficient  num- 
ber of  sentinels,  and  for  this  duty  we  detailed  a  number 
of  the  women,  who  for  that  purpo'se  were  inducted  into 
the  breeches,  let  us  hope,  for  the  first  time.  Five  or 
six  marching  along  very  stiffly  and  formally  indeed,  in 
front  of  the  mock  encampment,  gave  it  a  quite  a  grand 
appearance  ;  and  upon  the  river's  bank  some  of  the  men 
were  stationed,  while  the  rest  were  preparing  and  repair- 
ing arms,  saddles,  and  bridles,  for  the  coming  fight.  We 
had  not  been  there  an  hour  before  my  great  surveying  tent 
arrived. 

"  When  we  left  for  Gonzales  in  such  haste,  I  engaged  a 
friendly  Mexican  to  bring  it  along  as  soon  as  he  could, 
upon  pack  mules.  The  tent  was  a  huge  one,  and  divided 
into  two  parts,  so  as  to  make  it  the  more  readily  porta- 
ble. This  we  pitched  in  a  conspicuous  spot,  and  having 
hoisted  a  small  flag  above,  it  answered  remarkably  well 
for  an  officer's  marquee. 

"  Now  all  this  humbug  had  but  one  object — to  keep  the 
enemy  at  a  respectable  distance  until  we  were  ready  for 
him. 

"  We  had  not  long  to  wait.  Even  as  we  were  putting 
the  finishing  touches  upon  our  marquee,  a  troop  of 
cavalry  came  dashing  up  at  a  hand  gallop  to  the  opposite 
shore  of  the  river.  They  intended  to  have  surprised 
the  town  ;  but  instead  of  taking  the  ford  when  they  had 
reached  it,  came  to  a  sudden  halt,  and  then  made  a  very 
decisive  movement  to  the  rear.  They  retreated  behind 
the  skirt  of  timber,  and  did  not  make  any  further  demon- 
stration, although  every  little  while  some  officer  would 
ride  up  to  the  bank,  and  after  looking  very  wisely  and 
curiously  upon  our  arrangements,  trot  off  again,  probably 
7 


146  THE  COLONEL'S  STORY. 

shaking  his  head,  and  without  doubt  pouring  forth  a  per- 
fect flood  of '  caraccos'  and  '  carambos.' 

"  In  this  position  stood  affairs  at  sundown,  except  that 
our  force  was  continually  upon  the  increase,  and  by  that 
time  we  numbered  sixty  effective,  hardy  men,  and  had  also 
two  small  pieces  of  artillery,  of  which  the  veteran  Col. 
Neil  took  command.  We  were  now  quite  ready  for  a 
fight  if  we  could  only  get  one,  for  your  Mexican  has  never 
a  stomach  for  anything  of  the  kind  unless  he  happens  to 
catch  you  unawares  and  unprepared. 

"  Selecting  the  best  rifle  in  the  corps,  I  walked  down  to 
the  spot  opposite  which  the  Mexicans  repeated,  from  time 
to  time,  their  reconnoitre.  I  did  not  think  the  rifle  had 
force  enough  to  carry  a  ball  across  the  stream  with  suffi- 
cient strength  to  do  any  good  after  it  got  there,  but  still,  I 
determined  to  give  the  next  '  cabalero'  a  right  good  scare, 
for  they  believe  that  the  power  of  our  shooting  irons,  and 
our  skill  in  wielding  them,  are  both  supernatural  and  dia- 
bolical. 

"  I  did  not  have  to  wait  long.  Two  gaudily-dressed 
officers  rode  up  to  the  bank,  and  shading  their  eyes  with 
their  hands,  prepared  to  take  a  long  and  careful  squint  at 
its. 

"  Shading  myself  behind  a  bush,  I  prepared  to  take 
a  long  and  careful  squint  at  them,  in  the  hope  of  mak- 
ing them  see  sights,  as  that  was  evidently  their  desire, 
but  the  only  sights  that  I  cared  .for  were  those  of  my 
rifle.  I  took  the  shot,  and  they  took  the  '  shute.'  I 
can't  for  the  life  of  me -tell  which  went  off  first,  they 
or  the  gun.  The  blaze  had  barely  poked  its  nose  from 
the  muzzle,  when  in  went  the  spurs,  and  off  went  the 
warriors,  not  waiting  for  report  or  bullet-in.  As  I  heard 


MEXICANS   IN  A   QUANDAKY.  147 

their  spurs  and  sabres  jingling,  and  watched  their  nod- 
ding plumes,  I  consoled  myself  with  the  idea  that  I  had 
made  the  feathers  fly,  even  if  I  had  not  brought  down  my 
birds. 

"  As  soon  as  it  was  fairly  dark,  we  marched  down 
stream  about  half  a  mile,  to  a  bend  where  we  had  a 
flat  concealed.  We  had  with  us  fifty  men,  and  our  two 
small  cannon.  The  horses  swam  alongside  the  flat,  and 
in  three  trips  we  were  all  safely  over.  At  our  camp, 
the  remainder  of  our  forces  were  parading  back  and 
forth  in  true  military  style,  and  the  large  camp-fires 
that  illuminated  the  village  gave  quite  an  imposing  air 
to  the  whole  affair.  When  we  had  drawn  up  in  order 
upon  the  bank,  two  experienced  scouts  were  sent  out  to 
spy  upon  the  enemy.  They  found  them  without  trouble, 
and  soon  reported  their  position.  The  Mexicans  were  in 
sad  perplexity,  and  evidently  badly  scared. 

"  Fearing  an  attack,  they  did  not  dare  to  light  their 
camp-fires,  or  even  strip  their  horses,  but  were  allowing 
them  to  feed,  every  man  holding  his  animal  by  a  slipped 
bridle. 

"  Most  of  our  party  were  for  making  a  sudden  and  des- 
perate onslaught  upon  them  ;  but  the  veterans  all  vetoed 
such  a  proceeding  most  decidedly.  If  our  object  were  a 
fright  instead  of  a  fight,  it  would  have  done  ;  but  a  fight 
we  were  burning  for,  and,  as  the  enemy  were  not  more 
than  two  to  our  one,  the  odds  were  nothing  at  all.  The 
Mexican  is  as  cutming  as  a  fox,  as  slippery  as  an  eel,  as 
bloodthirsty  and  as  cowardl^  as  a  wolf,  and  has  not  the 
most  remote  idea  what  a  lair  fight  is  like.  The  enemy 
were  well  mounted,  and  had  the  heels  of  us  without  doubt. 
If  we  attempted  a  charge,  they  would  be  off  before  we  had 


148  THE  COLONEL'S  STORY. 

half  a  chance.  A  few  experienced  hands  might  indeed 
creep  up  to  their  stamping  ground,  and  drop  a  man  or 
two  ;  but  the  moon  shone  too  brightly  to  allow  of  any  but 
old  hunters  trying  the  experiment,  and  so  we  determined 
upon  an  ambush.  Six  of  the  best  mounted  men  were 
despatched  to  draw  the  enemy  along  the  edge  of  the  tim- 
ber, while  we  were  to  treat  them  to  a  discharge  of  our 
field-pieces — loaded  with  trace  chains,  for  the  want  of 
grape-shot — and  our  rifles. 

"  The  squad  made  a  circuit,  and  came  upon  the  Mexicans 
on  the  prairie  side.  They  rode  along  slowly,  as  if  entirely 
ignorant  of  the  hostile  presence,  and,  when  they  came  as 
near  as  was  advisable  to  the  picquet,  hailed  to  know  who 
were  there. 

"  The  enemy  were  all  alive  in  a  moment.  Here  was  a 
chance  for  glory  and  immortality  not  to  be  lightly  thrown 
away  ;  here,  a  fight  exactly  to  their  liking.  Not  waiting 
for  the  trumpet's  '  boot  and  saddle,'  not  waiting  for  officer 
or  word  of  command,  scarcely  sparing  the  time  to  replace 
the  bits  in  their  horses'  mouths,  away  they  dashed,  helter- 
skelter,  in  wild  and  most  admired  confusion.  A  short 
burst  brought  them  right  opposite  us,  and,  had  the  old 
colonel  waited  for  the  main  body  of  the  rascals,  we  had 
emptied  many  a  saddle ;  but  his  desire  to  be  at  them 
brooked  neither  delay  nor  advice,  and  as  soon  as  the  first 
came  straggling  by  at  full  speed,  bang  went  the  cannon, 
down  came  three  or  four  Mexicans  and  their  horses,  cut 
into  mince-meat,  and  away  for  their  lives  sped  the  rest. 
They  had  suspected  something  was  wrong  all  the  after- 
noon, and  now  they  knew  it,  and  were  satisfied  with  the 
limited  amount  of  that  knowledge,  without  any  further 
inquiry  into  the  matter. 


QUARTER  RACE — BUT  NO  QUARTER.        149 

"Away  sped  the  Mexicans,  and  away  sped  we  after 
them ;  the  rifle-balls  whistled ;  the  flashes  from  the  frequent 
discharges,  like  meteors,  lighted  up  the  scene  ;  the  enemy 
yelled  with  fear  ;  the  boys  shouted  with  rage  ;  and,  except- 
ing the  celebrated  San  Jacinto  races,  it  was  never  my  lot 
to  behold  such  a  scene  of  confusion.  It  was  all  of  no  use, 
however,  for  their  horses  beat  us,  if  the  men  could  not,  and 
I  do  not  think  we  saved  a  single  Mexican,  but  those  whom 
we  got  at  the  first  discharge." 


CHAPTER  XY. 

THE  COLONEL'S  STORY   CONTINUED — SPECIMENS  OP   TALL 

FIGHTING. 

"  I  DO  not  now  remember,  not  a  battle  alone,  but  any  kind 
of  a  fight  with  the  Mexicans,  in  which  they  did  not  outnum- 
ber us  immensely.  The  Alamo  was  stormed  in  the  face  of 
ten  to  one,  and  when  the  cowards  sent  out  a  flag,  such  an 
unorganized  set  were  we,  that  there  was  no  proper  officer 
to  receive  it.  We  were  out  of  ammunition,  and  began  to 
feel  pretty  badly  whipped.  Word  was  passed  from  house 
to  house  that  it  was  about  time  to  be  off,  and  I  never  was 
more  astonished  in  my  life  than  when  the  enemy  exhibited 
their  white  flag.  Think  of  twenty-five  hundred  regular 
troops  in  a  fortress  surrendering  to  less  than  three  hun- 
dred civilians,  without  discipline,  and  almost  without 
officers !  I  asked  General  Cos — when  he  was  a  prisoner 
in  Galveston — how  such  a  thing  could  happen  ? 

" '  Why,  sir,'  he  replied,  '  what  were  we  to  do  ?  We 
could  not  even  show  a  finger  but  it  was  shot  off ;  my  men 
would  not  stand  it  any  longer  ;  they  would  as  soon  have 
fought  the  devil  himself.  I  had  to  surrender.' 

"  The  battle  of  San  Jacinto  was  fought  against  three  to 
one,  and  not  much  of  a  fight  at  that.  The  defence  of  the 
Alamo  was  against^/ty  to  one,  and  at  least  a  thousand  of 
the  enemy  bit  the  dust.  General  Baker,  with  but  thirty 
men,  kept  the  first  division  of  the  grand  army  at  bay  for 
several  days  at  Brazoria,  and  that  little  fight  at  Lipantit- 


SEATSFIELD.  151 

Ian,  some  four  months  since,  was  not  to  be  laughed  at. 
When  eight  hundred  cavalry  surprise  and  surround  one 
hundred  and  seventy  infantry,  it  is  no  joke,  even  though 
the  enemy  be  Mexicans. 

"  But  of  all  the  fights  that  ever  I  was  in,  give  me  the 
battle  of  Conception,  or,  as  it  was  better  known  at  the 
time, '  the  battle  of  the  Horse  Shoe.'  It  seems  now  to  be 
quite  forgotten  at  home,  and  was  never  known  of  abroad. 
The  capture  of  the  Alamo  made  so  much  noise  as  to  com- 
pletely swamp  the  glory  of  my  pet  scrimmage.  That 
German,  who  calls  himself  Seatsfield,  the  author  of  a 
good  many  readable  books,  has  given  so  good  a  picture 
of  the  battle,  that  I  think  he  must  have  been  in  it  or 
near  it.  He  has  romanced  so  much,  however,  that 
everybody  thinks  the  whole  affair  a  mere  offspring  of 
his  imagination,  as  indeed  was  his  fish  story  of  the  old 
hunter,  who  was  lynched  and  came  to  life  again.  I  think 
he  had  some  idea  of  Deaf  Smith  when  he  drew  that  cha- 
racter. 

"  The  truth  about  the  battle  is  this  :  Burlison,  with 
eight  hundred  men,  had  taken  post  on  the  San  Antone 
river,  some  distance  below  the  town,  and  there  he  lay 
waiting  for  reinforcements  before  he  should  attack  a 
place  that,  defended  by  as  many  Americans  as  it  had 
Mexicans,  would  have  been  impregnable. 

"  It  was  deemed  advisable  to  advance  nearer  upon  the 
townrand  accordingly  volunteers  were  called  for  to  recon- 
noitre the  country  about  the  enemy's  position,  and  to 
search  for  a  safe  and  convenient  spot  for  the  army  to 
advance  and  encamp  upon. 

"  Ninety-two  men  stepped  forward,  and  I  among  them. 
We  were  ordered  to  proceed  up  the  river  until  within  six 


152  THE  COLONEL'S  STOBY  CONTINUED. 

or  seven  miles  of  San  Antone,  and,  after  selecting  a  pro- 
per spot,  to  return  before  night.  The  army  was  to  march 
and  take  up  their  new  position  on  the  next  day.  So  off 
we  started,  every  man  upon  his  own  hook,  for  although 
we  had  those  among  us  that  afterwards  distinguished 
themselves  as  officers,  yet,  with  the  exception  of  an  old 
Indian-fighting  general,  no  one  assumed  any  particular 
command.  We  had  especial  orders  to  avoid  any  collision 
with  the  enemy,  and  to  retreat  upon  the  least  symptom  of 
danger.  As  the  men,  however,  were  fairly  '  froze  for  a 
fight/  there  was  little  chance  of  these  orders  being  obeyed, 
if  fortune  should  send  the  Mexicans  in  our  way. 

"Not  finding  any  within  the  prescribed  distance,  we 
determined  to  advance  nearer  upon  the  town,  and  pushed 
on  until  we  found,  near  the  old  mission  Conception,  and 
three  miles  below  Bexar,  as  lovely  a  camp-ground  as  ever 
fell  to  the  lot  of  weary  soldiers.  A  bend  in  the  river, 
known  as  the  '  Horse  Shoe,'  had  upon  its  shore  a  strip  of 
bottom  land,  above  which  the  prairie  arose  like  a  line  of 
wall,  so  as  to  form  a  perfect  breastwork,  and  although  the 
latter  was  not  more  than  four  feet  higher  than  the  '  bot- 
tom,' yet  as  it  curved  around  on  either  side  until  it  met 
the  river,  a  better  position  for  infantry  could  hardly  be 
conceived  of.  Wood  and  water  on  the  spot,  the  river  for 
our  rear  defence,  and  the  prairie  wall  for  our  front,  no 
wonder  that  we  gave  a  cheer  when  we  found  it,  and 
no  wonder  either  that  we  determined  not  to  return  to  the 
main  body,  but  to  send  back  two  messengers,  and  for 
ourselves,  to  camp  for  the  night,  and  await  Burlison's 
arrival. 

"  All  notion  of  fighting  passed  away,  and  we  foolishly 
imagined  that  our  present  situation  was  unknown  to  the 


THE  NIGHT  ALARM.  153 

enemy.  We  were  about  as  wise  as  the  silly  bird  that 
hides  her  head  in  the  bush,  and  thinks  herself  perfectly 
safe  until '  a  fire  in  the  rear'  convinces  her  too  late  of  her 
error.  We  had  not  been  at  our  new  camp  an  hour  before 
Mexican  women  began  to  come  in,  with  '  polonces'  and 
'  tortillas'  for  sale.  We  bought  of  their  wares,  and  they, 
immediately  after  leaving  camp,  went  up  to  Bexar  and 
reported  our  exact  number.  I  found  afterwards  that  they 
had  stated  our  force  as  ninety-two,  which  it  was  at  the 
time,  although  two  men  were  subsequently  sent  back  to 
Burlison. 

"  Night  drew  on.  We  made  our  fires,  cooked  our  sup- 
pers, eat,  drank,  smoked,  and  were  merry.  A  guard  was 
set,  and  one  by  one  the  rest  departed  for  the  land  of  Nod. 
Although  camped  on  a  'bottom,'  I  slept  like  a  top.  To- 
wards morning  my  neighbor — I  had  almost  said  bed-fel- 
low, for  our  blankets  touched — grasped  my  leg  gently, 
and  woke  me  up. 

"  '  Hist !'  said  he,  in  a  low  voice. 

" '  What  is  it  ?'  inquired  I,  in  a  half-asleep  and  tho- 
roughly cross  tone. 

"  '  Hush,  for  your  life !'  he  replied,  in  a  whisper  j  '  listen, 
do  you  not  hear  anything  ?' 

"  Like  Bottom,  I  was  all  ears  in  a  moment.  Above 
the  noise  made  by  the  rushing  waters  at  our  feet,  I  heard 
a  mournful  and  dismal  sound,  as  like  the  low  moan  of  a 
dog  "as  anything  that  I  could  compare  it  to. 

"  '  Pshaw !'  said  I,  '  it's  nothing  but  a  wolf  or  a  hound.' 

"  '  Yes,'  replied  my  companion — who  was  no  other  than 
the  noted  Col.  Bowie — 'yes,  you  are  right;  there  are 
wolves  about,  but  that  sound  you  hear  is  the  creak  of  artil- 
lery wheels.' 

7* 


154  THE  COLONEL'S  STORY  CONTINUED. 

" '  Let  us  alarm  our  men  instantly,'  said  I. 

" ' No  such, thing,'  he  answered ;  '  keep  still ;  those  rascals 
are  npon  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  and  they  expect  to 
surprise  us.  Let  them  think  so,  if  possible,  until  they 
make  the  attack.  That  wheel  has  saved  us.  You  do  not 
hear  it  again,  and  you  will  not,  for  if  they  have  no  means 
of  quieting  it,  they'll  send  back  for  grease.  I'll  bet  now 
that  those  wheels  are  bound  round  with  straw  or  rags, 
and  that  the  horses'  feet  are  covered  with  cloth  or  buck- 
skin, to  prevent  any  sound  from  reaching  us.  Unless 
something  goes  wrong  with  them  when  they  ford  the 
stream,  you  will  hear  nothing  further  until  the  artillery 


"  It  was  a  fortunate  thing  for  us  that  they  were  obliged 
to  cross  not  more  than  two  hundred  yards  below  the 
camp,  for  had  they  come  down  upon  the  prairie  side,  we 
should  probably  not  have  heard  them,  as  we  would  have 
been  to  the  windward. 

"  Bowie  went  cautiously  about  the  camp,  and  arousing  a 
few  old  scouts  to  help  him,  soon  had  every  man  in  camp 
awake  and  prepared,  without  the  least  noise  being  made 
in  the  premature  reveille. 

"  We  spread  ourselves  entirely  around  our  small  piece 
of  bottom  land,  facing  the  prairie,  knowing  that  thence 
must  come  the  attack.  Presently  we  heard  the  enemy 
cross  the  river.  Had  our  senses  not  been  sharpened  to 
the  utmost  by  a  knowledge  of  the  impending  and  immi- 
nent danger,  we  probably  could  not  have  distinguished  the 
slight  noise  attending  their  crossing,  from  the  rushing 
sweep  of  the  river  ;  but  so  preternaturally  acute  did  our 
hearing  become,  that  the  low  toned  words  of  command 
could  be  distinctly  separated  from  the  other  surrounding 


THE   FOG  LIFTING.  155 

sounds.  There  was  just  air  enough  to  convey  the  slightest 
noise  to  us,  without  there  being  sufficient  to  disturb  even  a 
leaf. 

"  At  last  they  were  all  over,  and  then  slowly  and  care- 
fully did  they  march  round  to  take  post  on  our  front,  pre- 
paratory to  their  intended  attack.  We  could  hear  them 
range  themselves,  but  a  thick  mist  was  rising  from  the 
river,  and  everything  was  by  this  time  concealed  from  our 
eyes.  We  could  even  hear  them  unlimber  the  cannon, 
and  were  very  sure  that  they  were  in  reach  of  our  rifles. 
What  weary  moments  were  those,  as  we  lay,  silent  as  the 
grave,  expecting  every  instant  to  hear  the  roar,  and  feel 
the  hurtling  storm  of  their  artillery.  But  the  fog  had  dis- 
concerted them,  and  although  it  was  but  little  past  three 
when  we  were  first  alarmed,  the  ruddy  tint  imparted  to 
the  dense  mass  of  vapor,  now  told  us  plainly  that  the  sun 
was  rising. 

"  Never  can  I  forget  that  weary  watching,  but  its  pro- 
longed anxiety  was  as  nothing  to  the  dreadful  feeling  of 
suspense  we  experienced  when  the  fog  commenced  lifting, 
and  we  could  see  the  feet  of  the  horses  and  the  lower  part 
of  the  wheels  of  the  artillery.  At  this  moment  word 
was  whispered  cautiously  through  the  ranks  for  each 
man  to  pick  out  his  mark,  and  to  fire  from  a  rest,  at 
the  word  of  command.  Higher  and  higher  the  fog 
drew  up.  It  was  evident  that  the  decisive  moment  was 
at  hand.  Officers  passed  in  front  of  the  line  of  horse, 
issuing  orders. 

"  '  Take  a  tree,'  whispered  Bowie  to  me  ;  '  take  a  tree, 
the  nearest  one  to  our  breastwork  that  you  can.' 

"  A  cool  breeze  fans  our  fevered  cheeks,  the  dense  mass 
of  vapor  rolls  up  as  a  curtain ;  there  stand  the  horse 


156  THE  COLONEL'S  STORY  CONTINUED. 

fully  revealed,  there  are  the  cannon,  there  the  gunners 
whirling  their  matches,  there  the  trumpeter  with  his 
instrument  already  at  his  lips  to  sound  the  charge.  All 
this  we  saw,  but  only  saw  it,  for  at  this  very  instant  the 
matches  were  extended  towards  the  cannon,  the  horsemen 
drove  their  long  rowels  deep  into  the  horses'  sides,  but  ere 
the  iron  storm  burst  forth,  ere  the  horses  had  made  the 
first  leap,  or  the  trumpeter  blown  his  first  note,  a  stento- 
rian voice  from  our  ranks  shouted  '  Fire  !' 

"  Down  went  horse  and  rider,  down  gunner  and  trum- 
peter, and  rifle  ball  and  grape  shot  met  careering  in  mid 
air.  The  confusion  in  their  ranks  was  indescribable. 
Checked  in  full  career,  the  horses  wheeled  and  ran  ;  every 
man  at  the  guns  was  shot  down,  and  for  a  moment  we 
thought  that  the  contest  was  over.  But  no ;  they  knew 
our  numerical  weakness  too  well,  and  having  again  formed, 
here  they  came  dashing  up  in  splendid  style.  The  strife 
was  now  to  obtain  the  mastery  of  the  artillery.  We 
dared  not  take  them,  and  determined  that  they  should 
not. 

" '  Give  it  to  them  in  the  face  and  eyes,  boys,'  shouted 
Bowie,  '  never  mind  their  backs.' 

"  Up  they  came,  and  just  as  the  leading  squadron 
reached  the  guns,  down  went  every  man  of  the  front  rank, 
and  away  went  the  rest. 

"  Another  charge,  and  the  same  result ;  then  came  a 
bold  attempt  to  withdraw  the  cannon  without  our  line 
of  fire,  and  here  more  courage  was  exhibited  than  I  have 
ever  seen  in  Mexicans  since.  They  surrounded  the  guns, 
dismounted  some  men,  and  absolutely  gave  us  a  harmless 
salute ;  but  again  every  artillery-man  bit  the  dust. 

"  The  enemy,  forced  to  abandon  their  field-pieces,  once 


THE   BATTLE  WON,   AND   LOST.  157 

more  retreated,  and  their  officers  evidently  held  a  long 
and  warm  consultation,  in  full  sight,  but  out  of  our  line  of 
fire.  Some  of  our  men  wished  to  make  a  rush  for  the 
cannon,  but  to  have  been  caught  upon  the  prairie,  would 
have  been  destruction,  and  the  proposition  was  decidedly 
overruled. 

"  The  enemy  were  in  trouble  ;  the  men  had  apparently 
had  quite  enough  of  it,  and  we  could  see  the  officers  whip- 
ping them  into  rank  with  their  swords. 

"  On  they  come  again,  and  as  they  draw  near,  Bowie's 
voice  is  heard  once  more  : — 

" '  Steady,  boys,  steady !  wait  your  time !' 

"  We  did  ;  and  I  firmly  believe  that  three  out  of  four 
of  our  shot  told.  The  destruction  was  awful ;  no  Mexi- 
can could  stand  it.  As  they  broke  in  confusion,  a  ma 
the  Sergeant  Major — dropped  from  his  horse,  hammer  in 
hand,  and  endeavored  to  spike  one  of  the  guns.  He  fell, 
shot  through  the  head.  Our  men,  no  longer  to  be 
restrained,  now  dashed  out  upon  the  prairie,  seized  the 
guns,  and  the  fight  was  over. 

"  Had  they  done  this  before  the  enemy  were  thoroughly 
disheartened  and  cut  up,  not  one  of  us  would  have  lived 
to  have  told  the  tale,  but  all  the  fight  was  fairly  taken  out 
of  our  foes. 

"  The  field  was  won,  with  no  greater  loss  upon  our 
side  than  two  men  slightly  wounded.  Bowie  approached 
me —  " 

"  '  Colonel/  said  he,  '  I  believe  this  is  your  first  fight. 
What  tree  did  you  take  ?' 

"  '  I  could  not  tell  for  the  life  of  me/  said  I. 

" '  Well,  come  with  me,  and  I'll  show  it  to  you,'  he 
answered,  and  taking  me  a  few  steps,  pointed  out  a  sap- 


four 

cxi- 
n— 


158  THE  COLONEL'S  STORY  CONTINUED. 

ling  about  six  inches  through.  '  A  pretty  shield  for  a 
full  grown  man/  said  he,  and  I  thought  so  too. 

"  We  did  not  wait  for  another  visit  from  our  Mexican 
friends,  but,  having  spiked  the  cannon,  we  threw  them  in 
the  river,  carried  off  the  ammunition,  and  made  the  best 
of  our  way  back  to  Burlison's  camp. 

"  And  now,  gentlemen,  to  our  blankets." 


CHAPTER  XYI. 

SOME   OF   THE   PLEASURES   OF   A   NEW   COUNTRY. 

THE  next  day  saw  the  Colonel,  Uncle  Billy,  and  the 
reader's  humble  servant  en  route  for  the  up-prairie  settle- 
ment, where  it  was  arranged  that  I  should  remain  a 
month,  and  then,  with  the  two  land  litigants,  proceed  to 
Maiden — as  for  reasons,  a  certain  county  town  shall  be 
designated. 

Four  days'  attention  of  the  doctor,  and  something  1 
than  a  pound  of  calomel,  put  Joe,  not  exactly  upon 
legs  again — they  being  rather  shaky  for  some  time — but 
quite  the  other  side  of  the  fever.  In  Texas,  the  physician 
must  make  short  work  of  the  disease,  or  the  disease  will 
of  the  patient,  and  when  the  body-curer  has  twenty-five  or 
thirty  miles  to  ride  to  a  case,  it  is  customary  for  him  to 
remain  until  the  affair  terminates  one  way  or  another. 
The  patient  finds  a  double  advantage  in  this,  for  he  avoids 
more  than  one  payment  of  the  somewhat  serious  charge  of 
mileage — a  dollar  a  mile — and  also  is  hurried  out  of  his 
fever  or  out  of  the  world  with  all  possible  celerity  by  the 
doctor,  ,who  fears  being  called  away  before  his  work  is 
half  done. 

In  Joe's  weak  state,  the  shingles  were  a  very  heavy 
weight  upon  his  mind.  The  rain  recommenced  on  the 
day  after  my  return,  and  for  a  week  poured,  until  the 
porous  earth  would  drink  in  no  more,  and  then  the  fluid 
made  wide  and  unaccustomed  lakes  upon  the  level  ground, 


160  PLEASURES   OF   A   NEW   COUNTRY. 

or  went  off  in  extemporaneous  rivers,  wherever  a  descent 
of  surface  gave  it  a  chance  to  run.  Joe's  mind,  sleeping 
or  waking,  dwelt  upon  nothing  but  shingles  ;  now  he 
would  flatter  himself  that  they  were  safe,  and  then  again 
in  his  mind's  eye  he  would  see  miles  of  the  river,  and  the 
entire  surface  of  the  bay,  covered  over  with  a  very  unne- 
cessary roof — as  it  were — at  his  expense. 

Determined  to  set  at  rest  a  matter  that  was  evidently 
producing  an  injurious  effect  upon  the  convalescent,  I 
persuaded  one  of  his  brothers  to  accompany  me  to  the 
thicket.  Long  before  we  reached  the  river,  a  deep  rush- 
ing and  moaning  sound,  breaking  the  sacred  silence  that 
usually  dwelt  in  the  old  woods,  admonished  us  of  what  we 
had  to  expect,  and  yet,  when  we  at  last  reached  the  bank, 
,nd  pushing  our  way  through  the  dense  cane  that  formed  a 
wall  impervious  to  the  eye,  had  a  fair  view  of  the  swollen 
current,  the  effect  of  the  sight  was  truly  startling. 

To  me  there  is  always  something  fearful  and  soul-sub- 
duing in  the  mighty  rush  of  dark  and  resistless  waters,  and 
when  such  a  sight  suddenly  burst  upon  my  view,  in  the  wild 
and  lonely  forest,  I  fairly  shuddered. 

The  river  was  bank  full,  and  swept  by  us  with  frightful 
velocity,  tearing  down  huge  trees,  and  hurrying  them  off 
as  if  they  were  but  straws  upon  its  surface.  The  quiet, 
gentle  stream,  that  once  tripped  merrily  along,  with  its 
clear  waters  sparkling  in  the  sunbeams,  had  changed  to  a 
savage  monster,  a  giant  refreshed  with  sleep,  who  in  a 
fury  was  hurrying  on, — lashing  the  banks,  ravenously 
devouring  everything  in  its  path, — to  try  conclusions  with 
the  tides  of  the  bay. 

It  was  evidently  all  up  with  our  timber  speculation. 
Our  shingles  had  cleared  for  the  gulf  and  a  market,  with- 


OFF,   ON   THEIK   OWN   HOOK.  161 

out  due  clearance,  and  in  all  human  probability  "our 
bark  was  on  the  sea"  at  that  particular  moment.  My 
companion  came  to  the  same  conclusion,  and  expressed  it 
too  in  his  own  way. 

"  Them  shingles,"  said  he,  "  is  done  gone,  and  the  '  dug- 
out' 's  arter  'em.  Wont  the  red  fish  bark  thar  noses  and 
spile  thar  teeth,  and  the  grand-ecoys"  (large  and  ravenous 
fish)  "  choke  theyselves  jumpin'  at  'em  for  mullet  ?  Mighty 
apt,  I  tell  ye.  Aint  the  river  a  humping  it  tho  ?  Reckon 
we'd  best  be  a-barkin'  on  the  back  track,  for  dern  my 
skin  ef  the  '  drink'  aint  up  and  a-coming  like  a  quarter 
horse." 

I  thought  so  too,  and  accordingly  home  we  went.  Now 
that  Joe  knew  the  worst,  he  was  perfectly  resigned  and 
quiet  about  it.  All  his  speculations  had  had  equally 
unfortunate  terminations,  and  if  this  had  succeeded  I  am 
convinced  that  he  would  have  been  really  disappointed, 
and  have  looked  upon  his  success  as  something  quite 
unnatural  and  portentous.  The  excitement  of  the  chase 
was  all  that  he  craved,  and  but  little  cared  he  for  the 
game. 

"  I'd  a  swore  it,"  was  the  only  reply  that  my  tale  of 
destruction  elicited,  and  evidently  as  relieved  in  his  mind 
as  Marryat's  Captain  upon  discovering  that  his  son  had 
certainly  been  swallowed  by  a  shark,  our  speculative  phi- 
losopher turned  over  and  went  to  sleep. 

A  miserable  dreary  month  of  drizzling  rain  succeeded 
my  return,  enlivened  only  by  the  musquitoes,  red  ants, 
and  a  semi-occasional  ray  of  moist,  half-asleep  sunshine. 
Musquitoes  are  not  usually  troublesome  in  Texas.  The 
heavy  winds  sweep  them  from  the  prairie,  a  day's  hot  sun 
or  a  heavy  shower  destroy  all  within  their  reach,  but  the 


162         PLEASURES  OF  A  NEW  COUNTRY. 

drizzling  misty  weather  we  then  experienced  was  just  the 
thing  for  them,  and  words  can  convey  but  a  slight  idea  of 
the  nuisance  they  became.  Horses  and  cattle  herded 
closely  together  in  great  droves,  taught  by  instinct  that 
the  steam  from  their  reeking  sides  would  banish  the  tor- 
mentors. Stock-raisers  made  huge  fires  nightly  in  front 
of  their  cow-pens,  and  the  poor  animals  would  assemble 
from  all  parts  of  the  prairie,  and  pass  the  night  under  the 
friendly  protection  of  the  smoke.  Out-door  work  was  in 
many  places  suspended,  for  men  needed  both  hands  to  pro- 
tect their  faces,  and  consequently  had  none  to  spare  for 
any  other  purpose.  Those  who  remained  in  the  house 
kept  near  by  them  a  pan  of  coals  and  cobs,  made  living 
bacon  of  themselves  all  day,  and  sweltered  and  suffocated 
all  night  with  their  heads  under  a  blanket — unless  indeed 
they  were  the  fortunate  proprietors  of  a  musquito  bar. 
But  the  ants!  the  intolerable,  indestructible,  unconquer- 
able ants.  The  termites  of  Africa  are  fools  to  them.  I 
have  no  question  but  that  the  frequent  mounds  upon  the 
prairies  of  Texas  are  the  work  of  the  large  white  ant. 
You  will  find  no  mound  without  one  or  more  of  their 
hills  upon  it.  This  variety,  and  also  the  large  black  ant, 
if  left  alone,  cause  little  trouble ;  but  the  small  red  ant, 
that  invades  houses,  stables,  and  corn  cribs,  in  hordes  of 
untold  myriads,  heaping  up  piles  of  dirt  three  and  four 
feet  in  height  against  the  side  of  any  building  which  may 
be  convenient,  and  invading  every  part,  are  truly  an 
Egyptian  plague. 

I  once  saw  three  men  spend  the  whole  of  a  long  sum- 
mers day — a  rainy  one — in  heating  and  pouring  water 
down  one  of  those  miniature  caves  that  lead  to  the  domi- 
cile of  a  new  colony.  On  the  next  morning,  the  sun 


ANTS   ON   THE   MARCH.  163 

shone  brightly,  and  his  first  rays  fell  upon  millions  of  the 
unfortunates,  who  had  been  scalded  in  their  holes,  and  as 
soon  as  the  rain  had  ceased,  were  brought  up  by  their  liv- 
ing brethren,  and  lay  strewn  all  around  the  vicinity  of 
their  hole. 

The  only  advantage  one  possesses  in  living,  as  it  were, 
among  the  ants,  is,  that  other  vermin  give  this  small  and 
spiteful  insect  a  very  wide  berth.  The  common  cock- 
roach and  the  Spanish  roach — known  to  ears  polite  and 
scientific  as  the  "cimex  lectularius" — keep  at  a  very 
respectful  distance,  and  that  especial  torment,  the  flea, 
will  turn  and  flee. 

Texas,  in  fact,  may  be  entomologically  divided  into  two 
great  sections  :  the  ant  country  and  the  roach  and  flea 
country.  The  musquitoes,  snakes,  scorpions,  centipedes, 
red  bugs,  and  tarantulas,  are  impartially  distributed 
between  both.  Of  the  two  grand  divisions,  I  much  prefer 
the  land  of  ants,  for  there  you  can  manage  to  exist  during 
the  dry  weather,  although  when  a  heavy  rain  sets  in,  the 
sight  of  a  line  of  ants  marching  and  countermarching 
across  the  floor,  perhaps  up  the  bed-posts,  and  right 
through  your  bed,  all  engaged  in  removing  their  house- 
hold gods  to  some  drier  latitude,  is  more  astonishing  than 
agreeable. 

One  night,  during  a  severe  storm,  I  slept  in  a  large 
room,  with  a  companion  who  was  to  depart  at  daybreak 
for  up-country.  On  entering  our  sleeping  apartments,  we 
noticed  several  lines  of  ants  marching  across  the  floor, 
but  as  there  was  no  such  thing  as  interrupting  their 
march,  we  retired  for  the  night,  praying  fervently  that 
they  might  not  take  it  into  their  heads  to  make  a  "  covered 
way"  of  either  of  our  beds  before  morning. 


k 


164  PLEASURES   OF   A   NEW   COUNTRY. 

About  light,  I  was  aroused  by  a  tremendous  uproar,  and 
found  my  friend  dancing  up  and  down  the  room  "  in  natu 
ralibus,"  yelling,  stamping,  and  slapping  himself  with  such 
violence  that  he  appeared  as  if  animated  with  an  insane 
desire  to  reduce  himself  to  a  human  jelly  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble. 

"  What  on  earth  is  the  matter  ?"  inquired  I. 

No  answer  did  I  obtain,  but  after  a  few  more  salta- 
torial  performances  upon  the  gentleman's  part,  I  saw  him 
jerk  open  the  door,  rush  out,  accoutred  as  he  was — his 
only  garment  swaying  and  flapping  about  in  the  morning 
breeze — run  at  top  speed  to  a  small  stream  near  at  hand, 
and,  without  a  moment's  hesitation,  plunge  head-foremost 
in  it. 

''  Sudden  insanity  and  felo-de-se,"  thought  I,  but  no 
such  thing.  As  soon  as  my  friend — having  cooled  him- 
self off — had  returned  and  recovered  his  breath,  he 
informed  me  that  his  inferior  garment,  chancing  to  fall  in 
a  straight  line  upon  the  floor  during  the  night,  the  main 
array  or  principal  column  of  ants  had  changed  somewhat 
the  order  of  their  going,  and  marched  directly  through 
the  very  convenient  tunnel  that  chance  had  provided  for 
them.  Being  somewhat  nearer  asleep  than  awake  when 
he  jumped  up,  he  did  not  perceive  the  black  stream  that 
was  footing  it  through  the  feet,  nor  the  issue  of  the  bands 
from  the  waist-bands  of  his  trowsers.  Seizing  the  article 
in  both  hands — like  Cassius  when  playing  "follow  my 
leader"  with  the  immortal  captain  of  Rome — he  plunged  in, 
and  bade  me,  not  follow,  but  awake  in  haste.  If  the  torrent 
did  not  roar,  he  did  ;  stemming  it  and  throwing  it  aside 
with  hands  of  controversy,  and  finally  ended  his  frolic 
where  the  Romans  began  theirs — with  a  cold  bath. 


A   SELECT   LIBRARY.  165 

The  month  rolled  slowly  by  ;  the  rain  fell,  the  musqui- 
toes  swarmed  and  bit,  the  ants  changed  their  quarters 
often,  and  sometimes  a  heavy  shower  at  night,  and  a  fresh 
leak  in  the  roof,  compelled  me  to  change  mine. 

Besides  these  amusements,  I  played  a  little  upon  the 
ordinary  stone  pipe,  and  spent  much  of  my  time  in  drink- 
ing coffee,  chatting,  and  reading.  The  library  of  the 
Hough  settlement  was  not  large  to  be  sure,  but  it  was 
select.  A  well  thumbed  copy  of  Webster's  spelling-book 
and  one  of  Hale's  History  of  the  United  States  were  all 
that  the  shelf  contained.  If  I  remember  rightly,  I  read 
the  latter  book  through  seventeen  times,  and  regret  to  say 
that  ennui  so  got  the  better  of  my  peaceful  principles  that 
I  sincerely  regretted  the  war  had  not  lasted  ten  years 
longer.  At  length  we  had  a  few  days'  sunshine,  and  in 
desperation  I  plunged  into  deer-hunting,  and  devoted 
and  mind  to  the  pursuit. 

But  the  fine  animals  merit  a  chapter  to  themselves. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

A    CHAPTER   ON   THE   DEEE. 

i  Some  love  the  green  wood's  shady  grove. 

And  some  the  mountain  side. 
Some  would  in  peaceful  valleys  rove, 
And  in  their  rich  fields  pride. 

The  prairie's  grass-waved  landward  sea, 
The  broad  expanse  of  green, 
And  countless  herds  of  deer,  to  me 
Are  better  far  I  ween. 

OF  all  the  animals  with  whose  natural  history  I  am 
acquainted,  the  Red  Deer  is  the  most  curious.  Curious  in 
both  significations  of  the  word  are  they,  singular  in  all 
their  habits,  and  also  possessing  a  greater  share  of  pure 
unmistakable  curiosity,  than  falls  to  the  lot  of  any  other 
living  things  that  boast  of  FOUR  legs  to  carry  them  through 
the  world.  I  have  sometimes  thought  the  generic  term, 
DEAR  woman,  had  been  bestowed  upon  the  sex  by  some 
mighty  hunter,  who,  equally  cunning  in  the  field  and  bou- 
doir, thus  embodied  and  concealed  a  fine  sugar-coated  sar- 
casm, and  capital  pun. 

The  deer  appears  to  me  to  have  been  intended  for  a 
domestic  animal ;  and  we  have  none  that  so  soon  becomes 
familiar  with,  and  attached  to  man.  Run  down  a  fawn  of 
two  or  three  months,  throw  him  across  the  saddle  in  front 
of  you,  and  as  soon  as  you  have  reached  home,  you  may  set 
the  little  fellow  upon  the  ground,  and  leave  him  untied  and 
unwatched,  for  the  short  ride  of  a  mile  or  so  in  your  com- 
pany is  quite  sufficient  to  thoroughly  tame  him. 


JACK'S  CRUISE  ASHORE.  167 

Be  careful,  however,  lest  you  meddle  or  make  with  those 
of  a  more  advanced  age.  Their  hoofs  cut  like  razors,  and 
every  muscle  in  their  bony  legs  has  the  force  and  elasticity 
of  a  bow-string. 

The  stories  travellers  are  wont  to  tell,  concerning  the 
dangers  to  be  apprehended  from  bears,  catamounts,  wolves, 
and  wild  cats,  are  all  a  gigantic  humbug. 

Wolves — at  least  southern  ones — are  cowardly  as 
whipped  curs.  A  catamount  or  panther  is  a  huge  creature 
in  truth,  and  doubtless  might  make  a  formidable  fight — 
and  so  might  an  ox  ;  and  is  in  fact  quite  as  likely  to.  I 
have  slept  upon  the  ground  night  after  night,  without  the 
least  apprehension,  in  a  thicket  where  I  knew  catamounts 
abounded,  and  although  they  left  the  sign  manual  of  their 
huge  paws  in  the  sand,  about  the  camp,  they  never  dared 
meddle  with  the  inmates. 

The  bear  has  a  species  of  sullen  courage,  when  too  closely 
pressed,  too  badly  treated,  or — especially  if  a  female, 
should  the  family  circle  and  the  little  ones  be  too  rudely 
intruded  on.  But  leave  Bruin  to  himself,  don't  tread  upon 
his  toes,  and  he  is  a  very  respectable,  quiet,  stupid  indivi- 
dual, with  a  species  of  surly  humor  and  fun  about  him,  that 
is  excessively  amusing.  The  tiger  cat,  or  wild  cat,  is 
harmless  as  far  as  anything  larger  than  poultry  is  con- 
cerned ;  at  least  I  have  never  known  of  more  than  one 
person  being  injured  by  them,  and  he  brought  the  punish- 
ment upon  himself. 

A  sailor  had  escaped  from  some  man-of-war  at  Savan- 
nah ;  fearful  of  being  retaken,  and  meeting  the  punishment 
of  a  deserter,  he  made  a  straight  wake  up  the  river  for 
Augusta.  Before  entering  the  town,  he  determined  to 
reconnoitre  a  little,  or  as  he  would  have  expressed  it,  stand 


168  A   CHAPTER   ON   THE    DEER. 

off  and  on,  and  pick  up  a  stray  negro  perhaps,  who  might 
furnish  him  with  food  and  information. 

Fatigued  with  his  hasty  journey,  honest  Jack  turned  in, 
in  a  dense  thicket,  hoping  to  recruit  his  wasted  energies, 
and  brighten  his  brain  with  a  cat's  nap,  which,  however, 
was  but  of  short  duration.  A  mingled  howling,  yelling, 
spitting,  barking,  and  caterwauling,  in  his  immediate  vici- 
nity, suddenly  awoke  him,  and  jumping  up  in  haste,  he 
beheld  a  huge  wild  cat  backed  up  against  a  tree,  doing 
battle  against  some  dozen  hounds,  whelps,  and  curs,  of 
every  degree. 

Now,  everybody  acquainted  with  Jack's  idiosyncrasies, 
knows  that  Nature  or  Neptune  has  implanted  in  his  breast 
a  singular  fondness  for  out-of-the-way  birds  and  beasts ; 
and  our  worthy  friend  could  not  resist  the  temptation  of 
making  captive  so  charming  a  stranger.  Drawing  off  his 
monkey  jacket,  he  cautiously  approached  the  tree  where 
sat  the  chivalrous  cat,  not  dreaming  of  her  new  enemy,  and 
suddenly  throwing  the  said  jacket  over  the  cat,  he  enfolded 
ier  in  it,  and  drew  her  to  him  in  a  close,  if  not  loving 
embrace. 

He  had  better  have  hugged  the  gunner's  daughter,  for 
the  alarmed  and  infuriated  beast  fastened  upon  him,  and 
tore  away  with  tooth  and  toe-nail.  Poor  Jack,  not  emu- 
lous of  repeating  the  tale  of  the  Spartan  boy  and  fox,  cast 
off  from-  the  strange  sail  as  soon  as  he  could  get  clear  of 
her  grapnels,  and  then  had  to  make  the  best  of  his  way  into 
town  for  medical  assistance. 

I  presume  he  learnt  from  this,  the  necessity  of  giving 
strange  craft  a  wide  berth  when  cruising  in  strange  lati- 
tudes without  a  chart. 
-    I  am  sorry  to  demolish  the  wonderful  tales  of  so  many 


A  FAMILY   ON  LOW   DIET.  169 

of  our  western  travellers  at  one  blow,  but  I  can  assure  my 
readers  that  as  far  as  my  experience  serves,  the  beasts  of 
prey  of  the  Southwest  are  a  perfectly  harmless  and  much- 
abused  race  of  individuals,  and  that  a  person  incurs  more 
danger  from  passing  through  a  barnyard,  when  occupied 
by  its  horses,  cows,  and  oxen,  than  from  staying  a  week  in 
the  wild  woods,  and  listening  to  the  nightlong  serenade  of 
the  wolf,  and  the  rattle  of  other  and  larger  beasts  in  the 
cane. 

But  from  the  stock  cattle  of  the  prairies  there  is  real 
danger.  And  the  deer — like  dear  woman  again — when 
thoroughly  aroused,  is  no  contemptible  enemy,  as  any  one 
will  believe  who'  has  seen  a  buck  with  his  hair  thrown 
back,  and  his  flashing  eyes,  preparing  for  a  charge. 

I  knew  a  very  worthy  old  gentleman  who,  en  route  for 
Texas,  had  been  shipwrecked,  and  lost  all  his  worldly 
goods,  save  and  except  the  materfamilias,  and  a  dozen  or  so 
of  youngsters  of  both  sexes,  all  provided  by  dame  Nature 
with  prodigious  mouths,  and  appetites  to  match. 

For  some  time  after  their  exodus,  the  family  practised  a 
series  of  experiments — like  the  Milesian  horse  educated  to 
live  on  nothing — to  ascertain  how  near  they  might 
approach  the  verge  of  starvation  without  going  quite  over 
the  dam,  and  when  at  last  the  old  gentleman  became  the 
possessor  of  a  musket,  there  was  great  rejoicing  among  his 
famishing  brood. 

Likejnany  others,  he  imagined  that  as  there  were  always 
great  numbers  of  deer  upon  the  prairie,  all  that  he  had  to 
do  was  to  go  out  and  shoot  them  down  ;  but  being  no 
great  sportsman — a  Quaker  to  boot,  and  therefore  not  to 
the  manner — of  shooting — born,  he  made  a  sad  mistake. 

Loading  his  musket  in  such  a  manner  that  it  would  pro- 


170  A    CHAPTER    OX   THE    DEER. 

bably  do  execution,  at  one  end  if  it  did  not  at  the  other, 
he  sallied  forth  a-field. 

At  a  distance,  a  large  drove  of  deer  were  quietly  crop- 
ping the  prairie  grass,  and  towards  them  he  bent  his  way. 
Having  heard  the  mode  of  crawling  for  deer  described,  when 
he  had  approached  them  somewhat,  down  he  dropped  upon 
his  knees  and  commenced  Nebuchadnezzarising  towards 
his  intended  victims,  drawing  his  gun  behind  him.  It  was 
slow  and  wearisome  work,  and  the  old  gentleman  was 
wheezing  and  panting  along  like-  a  high-pressure  steamer, 
when  he  suddenly  heard  something  behind  him  blowing 
rather  harder  than  his  own  pipe. 

He  turned,  and  right  in  his  track  a  large  buck  was  fol- 
lowing, smelling  and  snuffling  the  trail,  his  eye  flashing, 
his  hair  all  turned  the  wrong  way,  and  the  beast  evidently 
quite  ready  for  a  fight.  Not  so  our  friend — but  dropping 
his  musket,  without  a  thought  of  putting  it  to  its  legiti- 
mate use,  off  he  went  instead  of  his  gun,  and  scoured  for 
home  to  endure  the  reproaches  of  his  wife  and  family,  and 
to  have  his  first  and  last  hunting  adventure  fastened  to 
him,  a  joke  in  perpetuo. 

I  knew  an  instance  of  a  man  who  had  been  at  the  house 
of  a  neighbor  to  borrow  a  shovel,  and  was  returning  home 
with  the  implement  upon  his  shoulder,  when  a  large  buck 
made  a  fierce  and  entirely  unprovoked  attack  upon  him. 

Being  a  determined  and  powerful  man,  he  gave  the  pug- 
nacious animal  rather  more  than  a  Roland  for  his  Oliver, 
and  finally  laid  him  out — or  as  he  said,  made  meat  of  him  ; 
but  for  the  aid  of  the  shovel  aforesaid  the  result  might 
have  been  different.  Spades,  certainly,  were  trumps  with 
him. 

The  most  singular  affair  of  the  kind  that  ever  occurred 


A  BUCK  FIGHT.  171 

to  my  knowledge,  was  a  regular  up  and  down  fight, 
between  a  wounded  buck  and  an  old,  experienced,  and 
athletic  hunter.  The  latter  had  crossed  the  bayou,  upon 
whose  brink  his  cabin  stood,  and  in  a  very  short  time 
crawled  up  to  a  fine  deer,  who  fell  in  his  tracks  at  the 
rifle's  crack. 

There  are  three  things  to  be  done  when  a  deer  is  shot 
down,  and  your  true  hunter  seldom  neglects  them — he  first 
reloads  his  rifle — then  hamstrings  his  game — then  cuts  its 
throat.  Our  hunter  imprudently  neglected  the  first  pre- 
caution, and  thinking  the  deer  dead,  or  entirely  hors  de 
combat,  drew  his  hunting  knife,  and  approached  with  the 
intention  of  cutting  the  hamstrings.  A  sad  mistake  he 
made  ;  for  just  as  he  was  about  to  cut,  the  deer  gave  him 
such  a  kick  as  a  deer  can  give,  the  man  landed  upon  his 
back,  and  the  knife  went — heaven  knows  where. 

In  an  instant,  both  the  deer  and  our  friend  were 
upon  their  feet — the  deer  rushed  at  the  man,  who  seiz- 
ing the  horns  and  giving  them  a  violent  twist,  down 
went  both  of  the  combatants  ;  this  was  repeated  again 
and  again,  until  the  contending  parties  were  entirely 
exhausted. 

At  last,  the  quadruped  marched  off  a  few  rods,,  and 
stood  looking  intently  at  the  biped.  The  latter,  after 
patiently  waiting  for  half  an  hour,  endeavored  to  creep  to 
the  spot  where  his  gun  was  lying.  In  an  instant  the  deer 
was  upon  him,  and  again  the  same  scene  was  re-acted. 
Once  more  the  deer  left  him,  and  this  time  our  hunter  had 
the  good  sense  to  lie  perfectly  still  until  night-fall,  when 
the  deer  slowly  moved  off,  and  the  man  then  crawled  on 
his  hands  and  knees — for  walk  he  could  not — to  the  bank 
of  the  bayou,  and  by  his  shouts  obtained  assistance.  He 


172  A   CHAPTER   ON  THE   DEER. 

was  taken  over  to  his  cabin,  and  there  lay  for  nearly  two 
months  before  he  recovered  from  his  severe  bruises. 

The  yearly  shedding  of  the  deer's  horns  is  not  the  least 
singular  peculiarity  of  the  animal.  The  horns  commence 
growing  at  the  end  of  the  second  year  ;  in  one  year 
after,  they  drop  off  and  soon  reappear  with  an  addi- 
tional point,  so  that  to  ascertain  the  age  of  the  animal,  all 
that  you  have  to  do,  is  to  count  the  points  upon  either 
horn,  and  by  adding  two  to  them  you  will  obtain  a  correct 
result. 

I  have  mentioned  the  curiosity  of  the  deer,  and  truly 
their  inquisitive  disposition  is  marvellous  ;  it  overcomes 
their  timidity,  and  frequently  proves  fatal  to  them. 

Place  yourself  in  a  tuft  of  high  prairie  grass,  within 
sight  of,  and  not  too  far  from  a  drove,  and  by  popping  up 
one  arm,  then  another,  then  your  foot,  then  waving  a  hand- 
kerchief from  the  end  of  your  ramrod,  you  will  soon  have 
the  animals'  curiosity  thoroughly  awakened. 

First  they  will  snuff  the  air,  to  endeavor  to  ascertain 
by  the  scent  what  new  creature  has  made  his  appearance 
in  their  domain  ;  then  they  will  commence  walking  slowly 
up  to  you,  nor  stop,  until  satisfied  that  it  is  a  man,  or  met 
by  your  rifle-ball. 

They  make  very  troublesome  pets  ;  perfectly  at  home, 
they  will  roam  over  every  part  of  the  field,  garden,  and 
house,  poke  their  noses  in  the  dairy — taste  the  milk,  upset 
a  pan  or  two,  and  if  they  meet  with  anything  not  to  their 
liking,  give  it  a  butt  with  their  head,  or  horns,  if  they 
have  any — walk  out,  nip  a  cabbage  or  so,  eat  a  few  sweet 
potatoe  vines,  try  a  dozen  roses,  and  perhaps  finish  their 
lunch  with  a  cambric  handkerchief  or  a  choice  bit  of  a 
flannel  petticoat,  should  there  be  any  spread  out  upon  the 


NEGEO  HUNTERS.  173 

grass.  I  have  even  seen  one  make  fair  headway  with  a 
chew  of  tobacco,  although  he  ultimately  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  it  was  not  good  for  his  complaint. 

Upon  one  point  I  have  never  met  with  any  exaggera- 
tion— the  abundance  of  deer  and  other  species  of  game  in 
the  prairies  and  timber  lands  of  Texas, — and  in  fact  it 
would  be  difficult  to  exaggerate. 

I  have  lived  upon  the  bank  of  a  bayou,  and  counted 
night  after  night,  from  five  or  six  to  twenty  droves  come 
down  to  the  stream  to  drink. 

They  are  there, — plain  to  be  seen  ;  killing  them  is  how- 
ever entirely  a  different  affair,  and  few  persons  ever 
become  successful  hunters.  You  may  ride  among  them, 
and  you  will  find  them  more  approachable  and  less  timid 
than  even  the  stock  cattle ;  but  dismount,  and  they  are 
shy  enough. 

The  most  successful  mode,  and  the  most  practised  one 
of  hunting  them,  is  to  crawl;  that  is,' upon  discovering  a 
drove  near  you,  go  down  upon  your  hands  and  knees,  get- 
ting a  tree  or  a  prairie  mound  before  you,  and  slowly 
approach  the  deer,  and  if  you  are  very  fortunate,  and  have 
patience  enough,  you  may  get  a  shot  at  them ;  provided, 
always,  your  gun  will  go  off. 

The  most  uniformly  fortunate  hunters  are  negroes  ;  some 
of  whom,  trained  to  the  business  to  supply  a  plantation 
with  meat,  seem  to  make  a  sure  thing  of  it.  I  remember 
one  in  particular,  that,  to  my  knowledge,  was  sent  out 
usually  as  often  as  twice  a  week  after  meat,  and  during  a 
period  of  a  year  he  failed  but  once  ;  and  then,  overtaken 
with  an  ague  fit,  he  was  forced  to  seek  shelter  under  the 
shade  of  a  tree,  and  give  up  to  it. 

This  fellow  seemed  to  hunt  by  intuition ;  he  would  leave 


174  A  CHAPTER   ON  THE  DEER. 

his  hat  at  home,  tie  a  flaming  red  bandanna  around  his 
•woolly  sconce,  and  marching  off  quite  unconcernedly  into 
the  prairie,  seat  himself  in  a  place  where  you  would  be 
sure  the  drove  in  sight  would  never  visit ;  yet  there  would 
he  sit,  motionless  as  a  statue,  and  it  seemed  that  the  deer 
never  failed  to  put  themselves  within  reach  of  his  fatal  rifle. 

Hunting  anything  is  hard  work ;  but  hunting  deer  is 
worse  than  all  other.  There  is  more  danger  of  tearing 
your  clothes  from  your  back,  scratching  face  and  hands, 
and  bruising  limbs  in  a  bear  hunt,  but  then  there  is  the 
superior  excitement  of  the  latter. 

A  man  does  meet  with  so  many  woeful  disappointments 
in  the  former  r  that,  after  a  few  attempts,  nine  persons  out 
of  ten  resign  in  disgust  all  pretension  to  Nimrodism  in 
that  line. 

Par  exemple,  one  fine  winter's  morning  I  crossed  the 
stream,  gun  in  hand,  having  previously  announced  at  the 
breakfast-table  my  intention  not  to  return  without  meat. 
Whereat  every  one  laughed,  as  the  same  determination 
had  been  heard  before,  from  more  than  one  about  the 
board,  without  being  succeeded  by  any  very  decided 
results. 

As  I  was  saying,  I  crossed  the  bayou,  and  then  looked 
around  me  for  my  game,  but  none  were  in  sight,  where 
usually  hundreds  were  to  be  found. 

Near  the  stream  was  a  fine  grove  of  trees,  and  one  of 
these  I  ascended,  for  the  purpose  of  "  prospecting,"  as  a 
Californian  would  say,  for  deer.  I  looked  around  the 
wide  prairie,  and  finally  discovered  one  solitary  animal  at 
a  distance  of  perhaps  a  mile,  and  after  him  I  started, 
knowing  that  with  but  one  chance  I  must  take  especial 
pains  and  caution. 


A   COOL  PROCEEDING.  175 

When  I  had  diminished  the  space  between  us  by  one 
half,  down  I  dropped,  and  went  to  creeping,  for  fear  my 
intended  prey  might  discover  me  ;  and  once  seen,  all  hope 
of  getting  him  would  be  lost. 

Here  let  me  remark,  that  one  of  those  gentle,  genial 
showers — which  occasionally  visit  Texas  in  winter,  some- 
times beginning  and  ending  with  it — although  of  but  ten 
days'  duration,  had  drenched  the  prairie,  and  left  a  stand- 
ing coat  and  covering  of  water,  from  one  to  two  feet  in 
depth. 

Under  these  circumstances,  the  reader  will  perhaps 
appreciate  the  true  delight  I  must  have  experienced  in 
creeping  upon  hands — or  on  one  hand,  the  other  of  neces- 
sity sustaining  my  gun  above  the  water — and  knees, 
through  half  a  mile  of  sharp,  high  grass,  and  particularly 
cool  water. 

When  I  had,  not  perambulated,  but  genuflected  over 
what  I  ^upposed  to  be  a  sufficient  distance,  I  raised  my 
head  carefully,  and  looked  around  me.  No  deer  was  to 
be  seen.  At  length,  within  fifteen  feet  of  me,  I  spied  a 
pair  of  ears,  just  visible  above  the  grass  ;  there  lay  my 
game. 

"  But  stop,"  thought  I,  "  may  it  not  be  a  mule  ?  I  had 
better  make  sure,  before  I  put  my  foot  in  it !" 

I  stood  up,  and  although  nothing  but  the  ears  and  a 
small  bit  of  the  head  was  visible,  I  was  satisfied  that  my 
"  dear"  friend,  for  whom  I  had  been  wading  and  crawling 
for  a  mortal  hour,  was  before  me.  Down  I  sat,  shook  out 
my  priming,  wiped  the  frizen,  then  up  again,  and  taking  a 
long,  deliberate  aim.  touched  the  hair  trigger,  and — the 
gun  missed  fire.  Before  the  deer  could  have  seen  me — if 
the  noise  should  have  awakened  him — down  I  dropped 


176  A   CHAPTER  ON  THE   DEEE. 

again,  and  this  time  removed  my  flint,  and  put  in  a  fresh 
one,  then,  standing  up,  repeated  my  attempt,  with  no  better 


Again  I  took  out  the  flint,  rubbed  the  frizcn,  scratched 
its  face,  reprimed,  and  taking  aim,  again  my  gun  missed 
fire. 

The  deer,  who  had  been  disturbed  by  the  second  snap, 
at  the  third  jumped  as  if  she  had  been  hit,  and  started  off 
at  top  speed  ;  but  bleating  arrested  her  progress,  and  she 
turned  and  looked  me  full  in  the  face,  while  I  had  time  to 
take  a  fair  aim,  and — miss  fire  again ! 

Oh  Job !  thou  Prince  of  Patience,  who  refused  to  boil 
over  with  rage,  although  covered  over  with  boils  and  bad- 
gered with  friends,  hadst  thou  been  in  my  stead,  and  had 
swearing  been  then  invented,  methinks  thou  wouldst  have 
given  thy  tongue  and  temper  a  holiday. 

What  made  the  matter  infinitely  more  annoying  was, 
that  when  the  deer  was  entirely  out  of  shot,  the  gum  which 
I  had  been  snapping,  finally  consented  to  go  off. 

Had  there  been  a  tree  near,  that  gun  had  never  played 
me  another  trick. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A   NIGHT  IN  A  SHINGLE  PALACE. 

THE  weary  month  drew  at  last  to  an  end  ;  the  time  and 
the  men  came,  and  I  took  my  departure  from  the  settle- 
ment of  my  primitive  and  kind-hearted  friends.  The 
prairies  were  covered  with  water  ;  every  marais  overflow- 
ing, and  each  river,  bayou,  and  branch,  not  content  with 
its  own  bank-fulness  of  the  element,  must  needs  throw 
out  aqueous  colonies  in  every  direction,  and  inundate 
all  the  bottom  lands.  Some  streams  were  miles  in 
width. 

Had  it  not  been  for  the  inexhaustible  good-humor  of 
Uncle  Billy,  our  long  ride  would  have  been  quite  as  dry 
in  one  sense,  as  it  was  wet,  in  another.  The  Colonel  was 
undeniably  in  a  bad  humor,  and  with  some  cause  for  it. 
Some  time  after  the  expulsion  of  the  Mexicans  from  the 
country,  a  board  of  travelling  commissioners  was  appointed 
to  examine  the  claims  of  all  landed  proprietors  ;  to  con- 
firm the  titles  of  all  good  citizens,  and  of  those  who,  if 
absent,  had  furnished  aid  in  proportion  to  their  property  ; 
and  also  to  deprive  of  their  land  all  who  might  have 
favored  the  enemy  in  any  manner,  or  refused  their  assist- 
ance to  the  popular  cause.  About  the  time  that  this  board 
was  organized,  Colonel  Ting  was  obliged  to  be  absent, 
and  to  spend  some  months  in  Alabama. 

Having  fought  bravely  through  the  war,  and  even 
recruited  and  taken  to  the  country  a  company  of  infantry, 
8* 


178  A  NIGHT  IN  A  SHINGLE  PALACE. 

i 

there  could  be  but  little  danger  of  his  being  accused  of 
incivisme  ;  but  he  had  dipped  largely  in  land  speculation. 
Many  of  his  surveys  were  very  valuable,  some  as  yet 
imperfect  in  title,  and  he  well  knew  they  were  looked 
upon  with  covetous  eyes  by  men  in  office  and  in  power. 
Under  these  circumstances  he  deemed  it  advisable  to  have 
a  portion  of  his  interest  represented  by  some  one  who 
would  be  in  the  country  at  the  time  the  "  travelling 
board"  should  investigate  his  claims.  He  chose  a  man 
who  had  been  one  of  his'  surveying  party,  had  served  dur- 
ing the  war  under  him,  and  was  then  in  his  employ,  and 
promising  him  a  very  liberal  reward  if  he  conducted  the 
business  properly,  intrusted  him  with  papers  of  great 
value,  upon  the  proper  management  of  which  depended 
many  a  fat  tract  of  land. 

The  agent — whose  name,  by  the  way,  was  Horsely — 
improved  the  opportunity,  let  his  employer's  case  go  by 
default,  and  was  rewarded  for  his  rascality  by  a  large 
slice  of  the  very  spoil,  and  money  enough  to  set  him  up  in 
business. 

The  postal  arrangements  between  Texas  and  the  mother 
country  were  then  somewhat  imperfect,  and  before  any  of 
Ting's  friends  could  send  him  a  word  of  warning,  the  mis- 
chief was  done. 

Ting  returned  as  soon  as  possible,  consulted  the  shrewd- 
est lawyers  in  the  republic,  and  wherever  it  was  possible 
the  disputed  lands  were  taken  absolute  possession  of  by 
his  agents,  who  commenced  improvements  upon  them.  It 
was  soon  discovered  that  Horsely  had  not  given  up  tho 
papers,  which  were  now  of  the  greatest  value,  as  upon 
their  production  or  destruction  probably  depended  the 
issue  pf  a}l  the  suits.  The  traitor  apparently  meditated 


PROPOSED    COMPROMISE.  179 

a  double  treachery.  He  took  care  to  keep  very  far  out 
of  the  Colonel's  way,  but  at  last  was  brought  to  something 
like  terms  by  one  of  his  counsel. 

According  to  his  own  story,  Horsely  was  very  innocent 
indeed.  He  said  that  he  had  done  all  in  his  power  to  pro- 
tect the  rights  of  Colonel  Ting,  but  had  been  outgeneralled, 
and  thtt  the  best  that  he  could  do  was  to  come  to  temporize 
wilh  the  enemy.  He  had  received  about  two  leagues  of 
land,  and  two  thousand  dollars,  but  had  yet  the  possession 
of  the  papers,  which  he  had  pretended  to  the  adverse 
party  were  destroyed.  At  the  time,  they  were  considered 
to  be  of  but  little  value,  but  recent  trials  proved  the  con- 
trary to  be  the  case,  and  now  he  was  ready  to  resign  them, 
and  assist  the  Colonel  in  regaining  his  land,  provided  he 
should  be  properly  compensated  for  his  great  trouble, 
fatigue,  and  expense.  His  share  of  the  spoils,  he  only 
deemed  as  part  payment  of  his  just  claim,  and  modestly 
asked  to  be  secured  in  the  possession  of  it,  and  also  for 
five  thousand  dollars  more,  or  a  mortgage  upon  the  lands 
for  that  amount,  if  the  Colonel  should  win  his  suits 
through  his  assistance. 

The  Colonel  refused  any  compromise,  and  sent  him 
word  that  if  he  considered  his  life  of  the  least  value,  he 
must  keep  out  of  the  reach  of  his — the  Colonel's — rifle. 
Ting  further  informed  him  that  he  would  not  hunt  him 
down,  unless  he  should  appear  as  a  witness  in  the  case  for 
the  ^adverse  party,  or  should  destroy  the  papers ;  but  if 
either  of  these  things  occurred,  he  would  not  rest  day  or 
night  until  he  was  revenged. 

Lately,  the  Colonel's  lawyers  had  ascertained  that 
Horsely  was  connected  with  a  gang  of  thieves  and  des- 
peradoes— an  offshoot  of  the  well  known  "  Murrell  clan  " 


180  A  NIGHT  IN  A  SHINGLE  PALACE. 

— who  had  escaped  to  Texas,  and  while  ostensibly  follow- 
ing honest  trades  and  professions,  were  in  reality  engaged 
in  any  villany  that  came  readily  to  hand. 

As  the  citizens  of  one  of  the  eastern  counties  were 
about  taking  up  the  matter,  with  the  intention  of  ridding 
their  borders  of  them,  it  was  thought  that  some  discoveries 
might  be  made  during  the  secret  but  thorough  system  of 
investigation  that  had  been  adopted,  which  might  impli- 
cate Horsely  in  such  a  manner  that  legal  or  popular  jus- 
tice would  lay  claim  to  him,  and  in  that  case  doubtless 
many  things  would  come  to  light,  of  benefit  to  the  Colonel 
and  his  claims. 

A  suit  of  very  great  importance  had  in  consequence 
been  put  off  from  term  to  term,  until  heavy  costs  had 
accrued,  and  it  was  feared  that  it  must  go  to  trial  at  the 
approaching  spring  term  of  the  court  at  Maiden. 

Upon  the  decision  in  this  case  depended  several  others, 
and  as  the  lawyers  predicted  a  defeat  unless  further  delay 
could  be  interposed,  it  was  no  wonder  that  the  Colonel's 
humor  was  of  the  sourest.  Immersed  in  his  own  plans 
and  thoughts,  he  kept  some  distance  ahead  of  Mr.  Roberts 
and  myself,  and  scarcely  exchanged  a  word  with  us  during 
our  first  day's  journey. 

Far  different  was  it  with  "Uncle  Billy;"  his  good 
humor  flowed  on  in  an  unceasing .  stream-  of  fun,  stories, 
and  droll  remarks,  whenever  the  path — such  as  it  was — 
would  admit  of  us  travelling  side  by  side. 

A  weary  day's  journey  we  had  of  it ;  the  water  upon 
the  prairies  often  being  mid-leg  deep  to  our  horses,  the 
gullies  mostly  in  fine  swimming  condition,  with  "head" 
enough  to  carry  half  a  dozen  saw  mills,  and  the  "  marais  " 
soft  enough  to  "  bog  a  blanket,"  as  Uncle  Billy  expressed 


A   COUNCIL  OP  WAR.  181 

it.  We  had  followed  the  prairie  trail  all  day,  had  seen 
but  two  houses,  and  those  miles  away  upon  the  edge  of  the 
"  timber,"  and  night  was  fast  drawing  on,  when  immediately 
before  us  arose  a  heavy  line  of  forest,  which  told  of  our 
near  approach  to  the  upper  crossing  of  the  San  Jacinto, 
and  also  promised  us  three  good  miles  of  heavy  travelling 
in  rich  "  bottom  "  mud  this  side  of  the  river,  and  eight 
more  quite  as  bad  upon  the  other. 

The  Colonel,  whose  impatient  spirit  had  carried  him  far 
ahead  of  us,  halted  as  he  reached  the  timber,  evidently 
with  the  intention  of  calling  a  council  of  war. 

"  I  tell  you  what,"  said  he,  when  we  rode  up,  "  before  we 
get  to  the  river,  it  will  be  as  dark  as  my  boy  Tom,  and 
it's  all  nonsense  to  think  of  going  any  further  than  the 
ferry.  Shall  we  camp  down  here  on  the  driest  spot  we 
can  find,  'or  go  on  and  stop  at  Jenks's  cabin  ?" 

"  I'm  for  Jenkses,"  replied  Uncle  Billy  j  "  the  woman's 
got  a  long  tongue,  and  one  that  can't  be  beat  for  a  quarter 
not  easy,  I  reckon  ;  but  I'm  for  a  dry  s^pot  for  my  blanket 
and  a  good  supper  ;  these  we'll  find,  you  may  swar  to  it, 
fer  the  critter's  some  punkins  at  a  fryin'-pan,  I  can  tell 
you," 

"  Well,  then,  we'll  tie  up  at  the  ferry-house,"  said  the 
Colonel,  and  off  he  rode. 

"  Hello,  Cunnle,"  shouted  Uncle  Billy  ;  "  when  you  get 
thar,  you  needn't  holler  fer  'em  to  call  off  the  dogs,  for 
they-don't  keep  none." 

"  No  dogs  ?"  inquired  I ;  "  that's  strange.     Why  not  ?" 

"  'Cause  dogs  eat  meat,  and  the  madam  goes  in  fer  savin' 
it,"  was  Uncle  Billy's  reply. 

An  hour's  slow  crawling  through  the  soft  black  mud 
brought  us  to  our  destined  haven,  and  I  saw  before  me  a 


182  A  NIGHT  IN  A  SHINGLE   PALACE. 

small  clearing,  and  as  good  an  imitation  of  a  Down-East 
shingle  palace  as  the  patriotic  Yankees  had  been  able  to 
erect  in  the  wilderness.  It  was  a  very  long,  very  low, 
and  a  very  narrow  building,  covered — sides,  ends,  and 
roof — with  rude  shingles.  It  also  boasted  of  two  doors, 
and  about  a  dozen  windows,  perhaps  two  feet  square. 
Altogether  it  was  a  great  curiosity  for  Texas.  The  win- 
dows had  small  sash — evidently  once  the  property  of  some 
unfortunate  steamboat,  and  probably  purchased  at  Gal- 
veston  for  a  trifle — without  any  panes  of  glass,  but 
in  their  places  were  to  be  seen  the  usual  display  of 
hats,  bonnets,  rags,  and  an  occasional  square  of  oiled 
paper. 

The  family  who  inhabited  this  distinguished  mansion 
consisted  of  two  brothers,  the  wife  of  the  elder,  and  quite 
a  number  of  tow-headed  boys.  The  men  were  shrewd, 
industrious,  and  managing  Yankees.  They  came  there 
with  little  or  nothing,  bought  a  piece  of  valuable  land  on 
credit  and  for  a  stmg,  made  shingles,  which  they  rafted 
down  the  river,  and  shipped  to  Oalveston,  did  stray  jobs 
of  carpenter's  work,  rough  cabinet-work,  and  even  wagon- 
making,  for  any  of  their  neighbors  within  thirty  miles, 
took  any  kind  of  pay,  kept  a  ferry  and  a  kind  of  roadside 
inn,  and  were  in  a  fair  way  of  becoming  quite  indepen- 
dent. 

We  were  warmly  welcomed,  our  horses  well  cared  for, 
and  very  soon  a  capital  supper  was  smoking  upon  the 
table.  As  soon  as  the  meal  was  fairly  discussed — and 
that  was  no  light  matter — the  inevitable  pipes  were  pro- 
duced and  set  in  motion,  and  the  Colonel  determined  that 
Uncle  Billy's  tongue  should  follow  their  example,  not  for 
our  amusement  alone,  but  to  check,  if  possible,  the  deluge 


UNCLE  BILLY   ON  LAWYERS.  183 

of  inquiries  that  poured  in  a  ceaseless  and  resistless  stream 
from  the  lips  of  our  fair  hostess. 

"  I  think,  Uncle  Billy,"  commenced  the  Colonel,  "  that 
although  you  take  our  legal  troubles  so  good-humoredly, 
this  being  in  the  law  does  not  quite  suit  you.  Don't  you 
think  we  should  get  along  just  as  well  without  law  or 
lawyers  ?" 

"  Well,  now,  Cunnle,"  replied  Uncle  Billy,  hitching  up 
his  chair,  and  evidently  setting  in  for  a  long  yarn — "  well, 
now,  Cunnle,  I'm  rayther  jubous  about  it.  Thar's  some 
men — tho'  I  ain't  one  of  'em — who  hev  a  mighty  likin'  fer 
bein'  allers  in  the  lor  ;  they  ain't  never  satisfied  tell 
they're  fitin'  and  quarrellin7,  accordin'  to  the  ax  of  Con- 
gress, in  such  cases  made  and  provided.  Arter  all,  I 
reckon  the  lor's  of  some  use,  fer  it  gives  a  livin'  to  them 
lawyer  chaps,  and  ef  they  couldn't  get  it  so,  I'm  rayther 
afeareM  they're  too  smart  and  too  lazy  a  set  to  make  the 
best  sorter  citizens. 

"  An  old  planter  onst  said  to  me,  when  he  met  me  inside 
of  one  of  them  preambulating  circuses  and  merry-jer- 
ries : — 

"'I  ain't  here  'cause  I've  any  pretickeler  likin'  fur 
these  things,  but,  ye  see,  these  chaps  is  bound  to  get  a 
livin',  and  ye  know  they  wont  work,  so  I  allow  it's 
rayther  the  cheapest  way  fer  us  to  give  'em  a  dollar 
apiece  now  and  then,  than  to  hev  'em  help  theyselves.' 

"'What  a  time  thar  is  tho'  in  a  county  town  when  the 
court's  a  settin'.  All  the  rogues  is  thar  fer  some  reason 
or  nother — some  'cause  they're  sent  fer,  and  has  to  come  ; 
some  to  swar  to  owdacious  lies,  to  clar  thar  friends ;  some 
to  stock  a  jury,  and  a  pile  to  '  spread  the  tiger'  and  play 
poker.  Thar's  more  mischief,  and  gamblin',  and  drinkin' 


184  A   NIGHT   IN   A  SHINGLE  PALACE. 

a  goin'  on  while  the  court's  a  holdin',  than  in  a  hull  year 
besides. 

"  I've  seen  some  funny  things  at  these  gatherins.  I 
remember  a  young  lawyer's  comin'  to  Opelousas,  to  set  up, 
just  as  court  was  commin'  on.  He  hung  his  shingle  out 
to  let  people  know  .he  wer  up  fur  all  the  courts,  although 
he  expected  to  do  the  reglar  quantity  of  starvin',  which 
the  young  ones  has  to  go  through  with  ;  and  so  he  wer 
quite  took  aback  when  a  lanky,  slab-sided,  squint-eyed 
lookin'  critter  walked  into  the  office,  without  knockin'  and 
opened  with — 

" '  Hallo,  stranger,  how'dy  ?  You're  one  of  them  lawyer 
fellers,  I  reckon,  ain't  you  ?' 

" '  Why,  yes,  sir,  that's  my  perfeshion  ;  happy  to  do  any- 
thing in  my  line  for  yourself  or  friends.' 

" '  Yes,  sir-e-e ;  that's  what  I  calkelated ;  you  see, 
Squire,  I've  got  into  a  right  smart  differkilty,  and  me  and 
my  friends  has  been  havin'  a  talk  about  it.  We  allowed 
our  old  pack  of  lawyers  warn't  worth  shuks,  and  as  we'd 
hearn  tell  of  a  stranger  jest  havin'  arrove,  we  reckoned  I'd 
best  gin  him  a  try.' 

" '  Much  obliged,  sir ;  being  a  new  comer,  I  have  nothin' 
else  on  my  hands,  and  kin  give  my  hull  time  to  your  bis- 


"'Well,  stranger,  all  I  want  you  to  do  is  to  make 
a  speech  fur  me  half  an  hour  long,  and  here's  a  'fifty.' 
All  I  want  is  the  speech,  and  don't  disremember  it  must 
last  half  an  hour,  and  nothin'  shorter.' 

'"Really,  sir,  you're  very  liberal,  very  liberal,  indeed  ; 
but  what  is  the  case  ?' 

"  '  Oh,  nuthin  pertikeler,  ondly  I  happen  to  kill  one  of 
my  own  beeves,  that  some  thievin  critter  had  sot  his 


BENEFITS   OF   "LUMBERING."  185 

brand  on  afore  it  was  a  yearlin'.  You  don't  want  no 
items  nor  witnesses  nither,  ondly  you  be  to  court  to-mor- 
row mornin'  at  nine.  Good  day.' 

"  This  was  all  our  lawyer  got  out  of  the  chap — though, 
bein'  his  first  case,  he  was  mighty  anxious  to  know  all 
about  it,  so  that  he  could  do  sumthin'  uncommon  smart  in 
the  defence. 

"  He  looked  on  the  fifty  as  a  sorter  godsend  ;  and  as 
he'd  hern  tell  of  Old  Nick's  lookin'  like  an  angel  of  light, 
he  didn't  know  why  wisey  wersey  moughtn't  be  the  case, 
and  that  this  chap  might  be  a  gardeen  angel  in  a  awful 
ugly  war  painfc  Howsumever,  next  mornin'  to  the  court- 
house he  went,  and  sure  enuff  thar  war  his  hansum  cus- 
tomer ;  his  case  came  on  too,  and  a  sweet  one  it  war. 
The  lawyer  soon  see  it  'twarn't  no  manner  of  use  tryin' 
to  clar  him,  so  he  turned  round  to  his  man,  handed 
him  the  fifty,  and  told  him  he  couldn't  do  him  no  good. 

" '  No  you  don't,'  says  the  beauty,  '  no  you  don't.  I 
hired  you  a  purpose  to  lumber  away  for  me,  so  now  jest 
get  up  and  lumber  1' 

"  Seein'  he  couldn't  help  it,  up  jumped  the  lawyer,  and 
begun ;  he  went  pretty  much  all  over  creation,  and  talked 
about  mighty  nigh  everything,  except  the  case,  as  he 
rayther  reckoned  the  less  said  about  it  the  better,  and 
when  he  got  done,  wer  entirely  stumped  up  to  hear  the 
jury  bring  in  '  Not  guilty'  without  even  leaving  their  box  * 
but  this  wonderment  didn't  last  long,  fur  when  he  and  his 
friend  went  out '  to  wood  up,'  he  asked  him  how  on  earth 
the  jury  could  clar  him  ? 

" '  Why,'  says  the  chap,  '  eleven  of  them  fellers  has 
been  indited  fur  cow-stealin',  and  t'other  will  be,  afore 
court's  over.  I  knew  they  wouldn't  fasten  me,  but  I 


186  A  NIGHT   IN   A   SHINGLE   PALACE. 

had  to  get  some  one  to  make  a  show,  and  so  I  settled. 
on  you  ;  and,  to  tell  you  the  truth,  I  \ver  a  leetle  afeared 
the  old  ones  that  know'd  me.  wouldn't  hev  nothin'  to  do 
with  it.' 

"  But  these  sort  of  chaps  don't  allers  get  off  so  cheap, 
'specially  if  they  haven't  got  a  pocketful  of  rocks  to  pay 
all  hands.  I  wer  travellin'  once,  and  met  a  man  I  hadn't 
seen  for  a  long  time. 

"  '  Hello !'  says  I,  '  Bill,  whar  hev  you  been  this  coon's 
age?' 

"  '  Why,'  says  he,  '  Mr.  Roberts,  I'll  tell  yer  jest  how 
it  happened.  I  went  out  one  day  to  ki^  a  beef,  and 
afore  I'd  fairly  got  the  critter  skinned,  up  rode  a  man 
that  claimed  the  brand.  I  told  him  it  wer  all  a  mis- 
take, and  that  I  wouldn't  hev  killed  it  ef  I'd  a  knowed 
he  wer  so  nigh  ;  but  this  only  made  him  madder  yet,  and 
BO  afore  long  the  sheriff  called  on  me,  and  told  me  I  wer 
wanted  very  perticuler  up  to  court.  Well,  I  didn't  like 
to  disoblige,  and  so  I  went  along  with  him ;  and  when 
we  got  thar,  they  made  me  set  down,  and  pretty  soon 
a  feller  got  up  and  begin  to  talk  about  me  in  a  way 
that  warn't  flatterin'  to  my  feelins  at  all.  He  seemed  to 
hev  took  a  prejudice  agin  me.  After  he'd  done,  the  old 
chap  that  sot  on  a  high  bench  had  his  say,  and,  deem 
him,  he'd  got  a  prejudice  agin  me  too.  When  he'd  got 
through,  the  jury  had  their  turn,  and  hang  my  pictur, 
Mr.  Roberts,  ef  they  hadn't  got  a  prejudice  agin  me  1 

"  '  Arter  they'd  all  done,  the  sheriff  and  me  went  out 
into  a  sorter  yard  whar  there  wer  a  big  tree,  and  I  tell 
yer,  Mr.  Roberts,  ef  we  didn't  hev  a  hot  time  of  it  fur 
a  few  minits. 

" '  Now,  Squire,  who'd  hev  looked  fur  such  treatment  in 


TAKES  THE   "  SHUTE."  187 

a  neck  of  the  woods,  whar  no  man  ever  eats  his  own  beef 
unless  he  eats  at  a  neighbor's  ?  I  thought  it  might  hurt 
their  feelins  to  see  me  agin,  and  so  I  wer  took  with  a 
leavin'  the  same  night.  Ef  you're  likely  to  stay  about 
here,  I'd  leetle  rayther  you'd  say  nothin'  about  it,  as 
I  wouldn't  like  to  hev  the  folks  I  was  raised  among  git  a 
bad  name.' " 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

FEVER    AND    PHYSIC. 

ON  the  next  morning  we  arose  with  the  dawn,  and — while 
our  horses  were  getting  their  breakfast,  and  the  good  lady 
of  the  house  preparing  ours — proceeded  to  the  river  bank, 
to  see  what  were  the  prospects  of  crossing  the  stream. 
The  river  is  here  confined  between  high  banks,  and 
although  wide  enough  to  be  forded  with  perfect  safety 
at  the  ordinary  stage  of  water,  was  now  running  almost 
bank  full,  and  evidently  impassable.  On  the  preceding 
day  it  had  fallen  several  feet,  and  the  ferrymen  spoke 
quite  favorably  of  our  anticipated  passage,  but  there  had 
been  a  change  of  affairs,  and  it  was  evident  that  not  only 
both  forks  of  the  San  Jacinto,  but  also  the  lower  tribu- 
taries, Cypress  and  Spring  Creeks,  must  have  lately 
received  very  large  accessions  to  their  currents. 

This  was  annoying  in  the  extreme,  as  the  next  ferry 
below  was  now  certainly  impracticable,  for  there  the 
water  was  out  upon  a  very  extended  visit  to  the  bottom 
lands. 

No  route  therefore  remained  for  us  but  the  lower  ferry, 
and  we  must  perforce  ride  twenty  miles  down  the  prairie 
to  Lynchburg,  then  cross  the  main  San  Jacinto — or  more 
correctly  the  head  of  the  bay — and  take  the  bayou  road 
to  Houston,  which  would  give  us  a  ride  of  fifty  miles 
in  the  place  of  thirty,  and  a  probable  opportunity  of 


*A  ROMANTIC   MARRIAGE.  189 

swimming  Vince's,  Simm's,  and  Bray's  bayous — if  we 
could. 

Our  horses  were  luckily  in  fine  condition,  and  before 
sunrise  we  were  under  way.  Abandoning  the  slight  trail 
that  led  down  prairie,  we  kept  near  the  timber,  and  upon 
higher  and  drier  ground. 

By  10  o'clock  the  river  was  crossed,  and  we  were  rid- 
ing slowly  along  the  edge,  of  the  celebrated  battle-field  of 
San  Jacinto,  the  discussion  of  which  I  shaU  reserve  for  an 
after  chapter. 

Immediately  opposite  us,  however,  and  upon  the  other 
side  of  the  bayou,  stood  a  pretty  cottage,  which  is  quite 
worthy  of  notice.  It  was  once  the  residence  of  Lorenzo 
de  Lavalla,  and  was  then  occupied  by  his  widow.  Lavalla 
was  a  Mexican  of  superior  abilities,  wealth,  and  distin- 
guished position.  His  contempt  for  the  stolid  ignorance 
and  disgraceful  pusillanimity  of  his  own  people  was  only 
equalled  by  his  admiration  of  the  Americans  ;  and  when 
Santa  Anna  was  "opposed  in  his  attempt  at  a  military 
dictatorship,  by  Texas  alone,  Lavalla  abandoned  his 
estates  and  his  people,  and  joined  the  Texans.  He  was 
elected  the  first  Vice-President  of  the  new  Republic. 
His  marriage  with  the  lady  who  then  occupied  the  cot- 
tage in  question  was  romantic  in  the  extreme. 

Many  years  since  he  had  been  sent  upon  a  foreign  mis- 
sion, and,  upon  his  return,  travelled  over  the  United 
States,  stopping  some  time  at  New  York.  His  hotel  was 
near  the  Battery,  and  he  was  in  the  habit  of  walking 
there  every  morning  before  breakfast.  A  young  and 
very  pretty  American  girl  whom  he  met  often,  with  two 
children  under  her  charge,  attracted  his  attention,  and 
interested  him  so  deeply,  that,  after  ascertaining  her  cha- 


190  FEVEE  AND   PHYSIC. 

racter  to  be  unexceptionable,  and  her  modesty  equal  to 
her  bteauty,  he  raised  her  from  her  menial  condition, 
placed  her  at  school,  gave  her  an  accomplished  education, 
and  then  married  her. 

As  our  day's  journey  was  anything  but  romantic,  it 
affords  me  much  pleasure  to  have  fallen  in  with  this  cot- 
tage just  in  the  very  nick  of  time,  and  thus  add  a  grain 
of  salt  to  a  very  vapid  chapter. 

Just  about  noon  a  heavy  cloud,  that  had  been  hanging 
like  a  huge  blanket  over  us,  suddenly  "  let  go  all,"  and 
down  it  came  upon  our  devoted  heads.  There  was  no 
rain  about  it.  The  waterfall  did  not  last  three  minutes, 
but  in  that  space  of  time  we  should — if  it  had  been  possi- 
ble— have  been  soaked  through  twenty  times.  I  certainly 
have  never  received  so  unpremeditated  a  ducking  before 
or  since. 

As  soon  as  the  cloud  had  suspended  payment,  out  came 
the  sun,  evidently  in  a  rage  at  the  unfair  advantage  that 
had  been  taken  of  his  absence,  and  blazed  away  at  such  a 
rate  that  we  were  dried  about  as  suddenly  as  we  had  been 
wetted.  I  felt  a  little  qualmish,  and  had  a  mild  headache 
and  a  slight  chill,  very  soon  after.  These,  at  the  time, 
did  not  amount  to  much,  but  a  subsequent  succession  of 
headaches  that  were  not  mild,  and  chills  that  were  any- 
thing but  slight,  caused  me  to  remember  that  day's  work 
for  some  time — in  fact,  as  the  reader  will  perceive,  I  hav« 
not  forgotten  it  yet. 

But  why  relate  all  the  desagremens  of  the  day  ?  Whj 
tell  how  we  splashed  about  on  the  prairie,  or  floundered 
in  the  "  timber  ?"  how  we  waded  through  extempore  seaa 
and  swam  streams  that  in  ordinary  times  could  not  havt 
afforded  water  enough  to  have  given  our  horses  a  fau 


GEE  AT   "SAM"  AND   THE   LITTLE  MAJOR.  191 

drink  ?  Why  tell  how,  when  the  day  had  departed,  we 
barked  ourselves  against  the  trees,  or  how  the  dogs 
barked  at  us  as  at  midnight  we  slowly  ploughed  our  way 
through  the  .mortar,  that  is  supposed  in  Houston  to  repre- 
sent the  street  pavement-? 

To  judge  from  my  early  impressions,  thus  obtained,  I 
should  say  that  the  city  is  quite  a  soft  place,  although  many 
persons  assert  that  it  is  a  hard  one. 

We  reined  up — it  was  raining  down  then,  by  the  way — 
at  the  "  Old  Capitol ;"  a  commodious  and  sightly  building, 
once  occupied  by  the  legislative  wisdom  of  the  nation, 
when  in  Congress  assembled,  but  then  converted  into  an 
excellent  hotel,  having  been  leased  for  that  purpose  by  the 
proprietress,  one  of  the  most  amiable,  energetic,  and  intel- 
ligent women  that  I  have  ever  known. 

Houston,  at  the  time  of  which  I  write,  had  just  achieved 
the  victory  over  Galveston,  at  least  as  far  as  business  was 
concerned.  Of  the  appearance  of  the  thriving, 'bustling 
town,  the  least  said  the  better,  for  a  more  forlorn-looking 
place,  considering  its  pretensions,  it  has  never  been  my 
fortune  to  visit,  while  its  rival,  on  the  contrary,  is  perhaps 
the  most  beautiful  city,  of  its  size,  in  the  South. 

On  the  morning  succeeding  our  arrival,  our  horses 
exhibited  unequivocal  signs  of  overwork  ;  in  fact,  they 
were  completely  used  up,  and,  as  my  companions  had  some 
business  to  transact  in  town,  we  remained  there  all  day — 
time  enough  for  me  to  pick  up  two  new  jokes,  at  which 
everybody  was  laughing. 

The  great  "  Sam"— the  "  Chief,"  as  he  was  often  called 
— had  lately  been  there,  and  being  quite  out  of  humor  at 
something  that  one  of  his  particular  friends — Major  E. — 
had  said  or  done,  he — the  said  "  Sam  " — took  the  liberty 


192  FEVER  AND   PHYSIC. 

of  calling  him — the  said  Major — all  the  names  in  the 
calendar,  behind  his  back. 

As  the  little  Major  was  extremely  popular,  and  the 
great  General  quite  the  reverse,  the  opprobrious  terms 
used  by  the  latter  soon  reached  the  former's  ears. 

At  first,  he  would  not  credit  the  report,  but  being 
finally  convinced  of  its  authenticity,  set  forth  in  quest 
of  his  calumniator,  intent  upon  explanation  or  revenge. 
The  General,  however,  was  not  to  be  found  ;  probably  he 
had  an  inkling  of  what  was  on  foot,  and  kept  himself 
perdu  until  the  time  came  for  the  steamer  to  leave  for  Gal- 
veston,  and  upon  her  he  took  passage. 

A  few  moments  before  she  started,  however,  the  Major, 
having  a  hint  of  the  General's  whereabouts,  boarded 
the  boat,  and  finding  his  customer  holding  forth  in  the 
cabin  to  a  circle  of  admiring  friends,  boarded  him  also, 
with— 

"  General  H.,  I  am  told  you  have  abused  me  scandal- 
ously, and  said  '  so  and  so '  about  me.  Is  this  true  or  not  ?" 

The  General  looked  upon  the  crowd  around  them,  and 
seeing  several  who  had  heard  his  expressions,  made  up  his 
mind  that  denial  was  in  vain,  and  in  a  melancholy  tone  of 
voice  replied  to  his  querist : — 

"  Why,  Billy,  I  always  thought  you  were  a  friend  of 
minel" 

"  So  I  have  been,"  answered  Billy ;  "  but  I  allow  no  man 
to  abuse  me." 

"I- should  like  to  know,  sir,"  thundered  out  the  General, 

"  if  a  man  can't  abuse  his  friends,  who  the  d 1  he  can 

abuse?" 

Billy  was  forced  to  join  in  the  universal  laugh,  and  so 
the  matter  ended. 


"NIP   AND   TUCK/  193 

At  the  time  of  which  I  write — and  I  sincerely  hope  it 
may  be  so  now — among  the  men  of  mark  in  Houston 
was  a  certain  stable-keeper  and  mail-contractor,  named 
T. — one  of  the  most  jovial  of  human  kind,  and  an  invete- 
rate practical  joker. 

As  he  had  often  taken  off  other  persons,  the  "  conges- 
tive fever,"  being  probably  in  a  jesting  mood,  took  it  in 
its  head  to  take  him  off  also  ;  in  fact,  carried  the  joke 
almost  as  far  as  the  graveyard,  and  would  doubtless  have 
completed  it  but  for  the  active  interference  of  the  medical 
faculty.  It  was  a  "  neck-and-neck"  heat,  between  the  dis- 
ease and  the  diseased,  until  they  rounded  the  last  stretch 
and  approached  the  distance  pole,  when  an  excellent  con- 
stitution and  a  determined  will,  lifted  the  patient's  head, 
and  enabled  him  to  win  by  a  hand's  breadth. 

During  his  long  illness,  T.  thought  often  and  sadly  of 
the  dulness  of  the  town,  deprived  of  his  exhilarating  fun 
for  so  long  a  time ;  he  lamented  sincerely  the  impossibility 
of  carrying  into  effect  the  countless  admirable  jests  that 
his  fever-heated  brain  engendered,  but  finally  determined 
to  make  amends  by  concentrating  his  powers  upon  one 
monster  joke,  to  be  perpetrated  as  soon  as  he  might  again 
be  fairly  upon  his  own  legs,  and  out  of  the  doctor's 
hands. 

At  last  T.  was  able  to  mount  his  horse  again,  and  on  a 
very  sultry  day  he  took  it  in  his  head  that  a  ride  up  the 
bayou  would  materially  benefit  his  health. 

A  short  time  previous  to  this  excursion,  the  attempted 
robbery  of  a  house  of  rather  ill-repute,  not  far  from  Hous- 
ton, had  caused  no  little  excitement  in  town.  A  woman 
had  fired  from  a  window  upon  the  robbers,  who  immedi- 
ately fled — one  of  them  at  least  badly  wounded.  Many 
9 


194  FEVER  AND   PHYSIC. 

efforts  were  made  to  discover  the  ruffians,  but  without 
success,  and  after  being  for  three  days  the  town's  talk, 
some  newer  wonder  banished  the  affair  from  the  minds  of 
all,  except  perhaps  that  of  the  woman  who  fired  the  shot, 
and  of  the  man  who  received  lead  when  he  expected  gold. 
Here  was  a  theme  for  a  joker,  and  he  determined  to 
improve  it. 

About  ten  o'clock,  he  came  dashing  back  through  the 
main  street,  the  mud  flying  from  his  horse's  hoofs  in  every 
direction,  rode  up  to  the  office  of  the  coroner,  and  pre- 
sented himself  to  that  gentleman  with  a  face  of  extraordi- 
nary longitude,  and  a  very  shocking  story  indeed.  In  the 
bayou,  entangled  among  some  brush,  he  had  seen  the  body 
of  a  man,  who  had  evidently  died  a  violent  death,  and 
was,  beyond  doubt,  the  remains  of  the  above  mentioned 
robber. 

As  the  bayou  was  then  running  very  swiftly,  it  was 
necessary  that  the  coroner  should  make  haste,  for  fear  the 
body  might  be  floated  off,  and  carried  down  stream,  and 
while  the  officer  was  preparing  for  his  excursion,  T.  volun- 
teered to  select  and  summon  a  jury. 

Among  the  Houston  merchants,  there  were  quite  a  num- 
ber of  short  dumpy  men,  of  unusual  abdominal  and  funda- 
mental development,  and  so  nearly  of  a  size  and  age  were 
they,  that  the  appearance  of  three  or  four  of  them  toge- 
ther was  truly  ludicrous.  From  this  comfortable-looking 
set  T.  selected  his  jury  ;  and  as  he  and  the  coroner  were 
precisely  of  the  same  pattern,  the  whole  array  looked  as 
much  alike  as  peas  from  the  same  pod.  In  all  his  hurry 
and  running  about  to  find  the  right  men,  T.  had  not 
neglected  to  inform  his  friends  and  the  public  generally, 
that  exactly  at  twelve  a  sight  would  be  seen  in  the  main 


THE  NEW  PILGRIM'S  PROGRESS.  195 

street  that  would  be  worth  riding  a  dozen  miles  to  behold, 
and  precisely  as  the  clock  tolled  the  hour,  fourteen  pecu- 
liarly pinguid  individuals — guide,  coroner,  and  the  twelve 
jurymen — were  plainly  visible  marching  along  in  "  Indian, 
file"  on  foot,  and  picking  their  way  through  the  mud 
in  the  middle  of  the  street,  each  man  armed  with  a  huge 
bandanna,  wiping  off  the  fast  gathering  drops  from  a 
countenance  whose  lugubrious  expression  contrasted  sin- 
gularly enough  with  a  funny  rolling  gait,  and  a  jolly 
rotundity  of  person.  T.  led  them  up  the  bayou,  inspect- 
ing it  every  few  minutes,  but  unable  to  find  the  spot 
or  the  body,  until  they  had  travelled  some  three  miles, 
and  then,  declaring  that  the  accomplice  of  the  man  must 
have  found  and  concealed  him,  back  he  led  them  again. 

As  weary,  draggled,  dispirited,  and  almost  melted,  they 
tramped  through  the  street  on  their  return,  a  prolonged 
shout  from  at  least  one  half  of  the  citizens,  who  had  assem- 
bled to  see  the  spectacle,  greeted  them.  It  was  understood 
not  to  be  the  thing  to  take  offence  at  anything  T.  said  or 
did,  and  so  they  did  not  take  his  hide  off,  but  went  peace- 
ably to  their  several  homes,  covered  with  mud,  if  not  with 
glory. 

As  for  the  immortal  joker  himself,  besides  the  meed  of 
an  approving  conscience,  and  the  general  roar  of  the  com- 
munity, he  was  rewarded  that  very  night  with  a  relapse, 
and  ran  quite  as  narrow  a  chance  for  his  life  as  he  did 
before. 

This  strange  procession  is  known  to  this  day  as  T.'s 
parade. 

But  to  resume  my  own  story.  After  a  day's  delay  at 
Houston,  we  again  set  forth  for  Maiden,  and  the  third 
sunset  beheld  us  crossing  a  little  gem  of  a  prairie,  while 


196  FEVER   AND   PHYSIC. 

immediately  before  us  arose  a  beautiful  wooded  slope. 
Turning  a  short  corner  in  the  road,  and  passing  a  thick 
cluster  of  trees,  we  came,  very  unexpectedly  to  me,  plump 
upon  the  important  town  of  Maiden. 

At  the  end  of  the  street  stood,  first,  two  shingle-covered 
edifices,  facing  each  other,  the  one  perhaps  twelve  feet 
square,  and  the  other  ten  feet  by  twenty,  the  one  a  "  con- 
fectionery " — "  confectionery  "  means  whiskey  in  Texas — 
the  other  a  "  general  store ;"  then  on  alternate  sides  again 
two  small  log-pens — the  one  a  lawyer's  office,  the  other 
another  "  confectionery  "  or  "  grocery  ;"  then  on  the  left  a 
little  box  of  a  frame-house — this  was  the  jeweller's  shop, 
where  the  gold-headed  canes,  that  all  Southerners,  young 
and  old,  delight  to  carry,  were  manufactured  ;  further  on, 
another  general  store,  and  staring  this  right  in  the  face, 
yet  another.  Then  came  the  town-pump,  and  the  county 
clerk's  office,  and  on  the  other  side,  the  court-house  itself 
and  the  district-clerk's  office.  All  of  these  buildings  were 
of  a  dull  slate  color,  that  told  of  age  and  exposure, 
except  the  first  and  last  store,  on  which  the  new  pine  clap- 
boards glistened  quite  brilliantly. 

A  road  crossed  the  main  street,  separating  the  legal 
buildings  from  the  others,  and  upon  it  at  some  distance 
were  two  rambling  hotels,  one  story  each,  and  a  black- 
smith's shop,  while  on  a  back  road,  or  "  street,"  as  they 
called  it,  stood  two  very  comfortable  dwelling-houses. 
These  completed  the  "  town,"  and  the  town,  exactly  as  it 
stood,  was  a  very  fair  sample  of  all  the  county  towns  that 
I  have  seen  in  Texas,  except  perhaps  that  it  presented  a 
rather  more  imposing  appearance  than  the  majority. 

We  were  now  in  the  cotton  region,  where  goods  were 
sold  at  extravagant  prices  on  long  credit,  and  the  "  groce- 


NEW  SYSTEM  OP   "  DOUBLE  ENTRY."  197 

ries  "  disposed  of  their  liquids  at  a  "  picayune  " — the  cor- 
rect orthography  is  "  picallion" — a  glass,  for  cash  down, 
and  a  bit  (just  double)  for  credit.  I  am  happy  to  inform 
all  advocates  for  the  credit  system  that  ninety -nine  glasses 
out  of  each  hundred  were  charged,  not  only  with  liquor, 
but  also  with  the  pen. 

Having  some  time  after,  an  opportunity  of  inspecting 
one  of  the  journals — true  "  double  "  entry — I  was  very 
much  struck  with  the  original  mode  in  which  the  young 
gentleman  who  was  "  clerking  it "  in  the  establishment, 
managed  his  spelling,  as  for  example  : — 

MOLDN,  Genewerre  1,  184*. 
KUNLE  RODS: — 

1  Gog  of  Wiske $2  00 

IDecKeerds 1  00 

$y  oo 

Whether  Colonel  Rhoads  ever  paid  three  dollars  for 
his  jug  of  whiskey  and  deck  (pack)  of  cards,  I  could  not 
find  out. 

After  examining  some  records,  and  giving  me  minute 
instructions  as  to  my  business,  my  friend,  the  Colonel, 
departed  for  Montgomery,  in  quest  of  an  all  important 
witness,  and  soon  after,  Mr.  Roberts,  after  having  told  I 
know  not  how  many  of  his  peculiar  stories,  left  also. 
The  slight  chill  that  I  had  experienced  on  the  day  of 
my  sudden  ducking,  returned  on  every  succeeding  one 
with  increased  violence,  and  at  the  end  of  a  week,  I 
found  myself  fairly  in  for  a  sharp  attack  of  fever.  Calo- 
mel, rhubarb,  senna,  castor-oil  combined  with  spirits  of 
turpentine,  Cook's  pills,  quinine,  and  sundry  other  such 
dainties,  were  liberally  administered.  I  was  a  most 
intractable  patient;  the  moment  that  the  violence  of 


198  FEVER   AND   PHYSIC. 

the  fever  commenced  to  abate,  up  would  I  jump,  bathe 
head,  breast,  wrists,  and  ankles  with  cold  water,  and 
then — my  little  strength  being  exhausted — down  would 
I  drop  again,  pull  out  a  book  from  beneath  my  pillow, 
and  read  as  well  as  I  could. 

When  the  shades  began  to  lengthen,  I  had  my  horse 
brought  up,  and,  being  placed  upon  his  back,  walked  him 
a  mile  or  so.  The  Doctor  remonstrated,  and  my  kind 
landlady  scolded,  but  I  persisted. 

At  last,  my  fever  was  broken,  and  on  the  third  day 
after,  off  went  I  "  a  fishing."  I  returned  with  a  violent 
pain  across  my  forehead,  that  almost  drove  me  mad. 

This  recurred  again  on  the  next  day,  at  the  same  hour 
that  the  fever  had  been  accustomed  to  call.  Quinine  was 
again  administered,  and  the  enemy  again  routed,  but  only 
routed  to  return  again  in  a  new  form. 

Its  next  appearance  was  in  a  line  running  through  tem- 
ple, ear,  and  jaw,  and  when  once  more  driven  from  the 
field,  it  yet  returned  to  the  charge  for  the  fourth  time,  and 
made  a  violent  assault  upon  the  back  of  my  head.  I  con- 
quered this  at  last,  and  now  thought  my  troubles  over. 
Mistaken  mortal ;  they  had  but  commenced.  All  that  I 
had  suffered  was  but  the  overture  to  the  fever-and-ague, 
which  now  set  in  in  due  form.  For  two  months  I  rang 
the  changes  upon  opium,  morphine,  quinine,  laudanum,  cin- 
chona, myrtle-tea,  red-pepper,  cold-bath?,  hard  riding  dur- 
ing the  chill,  chopping  wood  ditto  ditto,  strong  coffee, 
brandy,  and  port  wine. 

At  last,  giving  up  all  hope  of  any  permanent  relief  from 
the  doctors,  I  commenced  experimenting  upon  myself,  and 
at  last  effected  a  cure,  although  it  came  very  near  finishing 
patient  and  disease  at  one  blow. 


IN  A  BAD   WAY.  199 

When  I  was  able  to  get  about,  I  had  my  hands  full. 
The  term  of  the  court  was  near  at  hand,  Roberts  sick  at 
home,  the  Colonel  off  in  the  West  in  search  of  a  man  who 
had  joined  the  party  in  pursuit  of  Gen.  Wool's  (the  Mexi- 
can) army  that  last  fall  invaded  the  country  as  far  as  San 
Antone ;  our  leading  counsel,  who  should  have  been  in 
Maiden  ere  this,  did  not  appear,  and  at  last,  in  despair  of 
seeing  him,  I  despatched  a  messenger  for  Judge  Onnsby, 
a  distinguished  lawyer  of  Eastern  Texas,  who,  I  had  heard, 
was  attending  the  court  in  the  next  county. 

A  week  rolled  by  ;  my  messenger  did  not  return,  the- 
Judge  had  not  replied  in  any  way  ;  the  Saturday  before 
the  term  came  and  went,  "but  no  lawyer  ;  the  Sunday  was 
almost  enrolled  among  the  things  that  were,  and  the  sun 
was  just  disappearing  behind  the  old  woods,  when,  to  my 
great  delight,  up  rode  the  Judge. 

On  Monday  commenced  the  term  ;  but  this  saturnalia 
of  the  backwoods  must  have  a  new  pen  and  a  new  chapter. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

TERM-TIME   IN  THE  BACKWOODS,  AND   A  MESTANG   COURT. 

Lawyers,  scenting  prey  afar, 
Hasten  to  the  scene  of  war ; 
Gamblers,  parsons,  culprits,  clients, 
Fat  men,  lean  men,  dwarfs,  and  giants  ; 
Buckskin  shirts  and  broadcloth  coats  ; 
Bare  feet,  moccasins,  and  boots  ; 
Dress  of  every,  and  no  fashion ; 
Men  from  all  parts  of  creation, 
Until  the  town  is  all  alive. 
And  swarming,  seems  a  human  hive. 

IF  any  one  would  see  the  backwoods'  character  in  perfec- 
tion, let  him  visit  some  frontier  county  town  during 
"  court  week."  One  may  ride  through  and  through  a 
thickly-settled  county,  from  north  to  south,  and  from  east 
to  west,  until  he  delusively  imagines  he  has  seen  every 
face  in  it,  and  that  he  can  count  the  settlers.  But  let  him 
be  in  "  town  "  on  the  first  day  of  court,  and  he  will  soon 
find  how  much  deceived  he  has  been  with  regard  to  the 
population.  He  will  see  them  pouring  in  from  every 
imaginable  direction,  by  every  possible  road,  and  some 
that  appear  decidedly  impossible ;  wagon  roads,  main 
roads.  "  cow  trails,"  and  "  blazes,"  all  alive,  and  with  a 
truly  heterogeneous  mass.  The  lawyers  from  the  other 
counties,  who,  scenting  the  spoil  afar  off,  have  just  drop- 
ped in  for  their  share  ;  district  attorneys  and  state  attor- 
neys, judges  and  jurymen,  criminals  and  witnesses,  par- 
sons and  gamblers,  horse-jockeys  and  hard-fisted  planters  ; 


A  FINE   FLOW   OF   SPIRITS.  201 

peripatetic  pie  and  gingerbread  venders,  who  come  with 
the  intent  of  establishing  an  extemporaneous  hotel,  spread- 
ing their  table  under  the  trees,  and  cooking  their  "  chicken 
fixin's,"  al  fresco — all  swell  the  throng,  and  fill  up  the 
"  town,"  even  to  overflowing. 

For  the  time  being,  not  only  every  house  in  the  village 
is  filled,  but  the  country  for  miles  around  is  laid  under 
contribution  to  provide  the  crowd  with  food  and  shelter. 

During  the  day  the  streets  resemble  the  purlieus  of  a 
bee-hive,  when  something  unusual  has  excited  its  noisy  lit- 
tle inmates  ;  but  at  night  they  are  again  emptied,  the 
lawyers  herding  together  for  a  frolic,  a  game  of  poker,  or 
to  ponder  over  some  knotty  point ;  the  jovial  gentry,  who 
came  for  the  fun  of  it,  either  gone  home,  or  far  past  going 
anywhere,  and  everything  quiet  except  at  the  "  groceries," 
which  are  usually  filled  with  a  jolly  set,  imbibing  "  old 
corn,"  or  indulging  in  a  little  "  faro"  in  the  back  room. 

The  dress  of  the  dramatis  persona  differs  as  widely  as 
the  persons.  Here  is  a  gentleman  in  broadcloth,  with  his 
invariable  accompaniment,  the  gold-headed  cane,  taking  a 
friendly  drink  with  that  rough-looking  customer  in  the 
buckskin  hunting  shirt,  or  perhaps  unprovided  with  the 
latter  article. 

There  comes  a  fellow,  whooping  and  yelling  down  the 
street  on  a  scrub  of  a  mestang.  "  Captain  Whiskey  "  has 
taken  him  in  charge  certainly  ;  but  see,  he  stops,  jumps 
from  his  horse,  and  salutes  that  grave  and  quiet-looking 
gentleman,  who  might  pass  for  a  judge  or  a  clergyman, 
with  a  slap  on  the  back,  and — "  Hello,  old  hoss,  whar  hev 
you  been  this  coon's  age  ?"  and  they  go  in  to  "  wood  up." 

The  people  seem  to  look  upon  law  as  a  species  of  amuse- 
ment, and  to  regard  "  court  week"  in  something  of  the 
9* 


202  TERM-TIME   IN   THE   BACKWOODS. 

light  that  the  Down-Easter  does  the  "  General  Training*" 
The  most  petty  cases,  even  in  the  Justice's  Court,  are 
ushered  in  with  a  formality,  and  conducted  with  an 
earnestness  which  is  but  little  in  keeping  with  the  amount 
at  stake.  Some  years  since  a  very  sensible  and  worthy 
Yankee — a  physician — having  been  elected  "  Justice,"  was, 
in  a  few  days  after  he  had  been  properly  qualified  for  the 
office,  called  upon  to  decide  in  a  weighty  matter,  probably 
involving  the  value  of  five  dollars.  At  nine  in  the  morn- 
ing the  Doctor  made  his  appearance,  and  shortly  after  the 
rival  attorneys  followed  suit,  each  loaded  down  with 
books,  as  if  they  were  about  to  engage  in  some  such 
momentous  affair  as  the  suit  of  Mrs.  Gaines,  or  the  heirs 
of  Anike  Jans. 

"  For  heaven's  sake,  gentlemen,"  exclaimed  the  alarmed 
magistrate,  "  you  do  not  expect  to  read  them  through  to 
me  1  If  you  do,  I  shall  tell  you  once  for  all,  that  I  am 
appointed,  not  to  judge  of  nice  points  of  law,  but  to  give 
my  decisions  according  to  the  simple  dictates  of  justice 
and  common  sense ;  and  if  you  do  not  like  that,  you  can 
take  your  case  out  of  my  shop,  and  carry  it  up." 

To  work,  the  opposing  counsel  went,  and  despite  the 
deprecatory  prayer  of  the  afflicted  magistrate,  read  page 
after  page,  hurled  point  after  point,  precedent  after  prece- 
dent, Coke  upon  Littleton,  and  Littleton  upon  somebody 
else,  on  his  devoted  head  ;  until,  perfectly  bewildered,  he 
allowed  them  to  have  their  own  way. 

As  usual,  the  "  court "  adjourned  for  dinner  ;  and  after 
dinner,  at  it  they  went  again  until  dark,  and  the  case  was 
then  put  over  until  the  morrow.  After  the  adjournment, 

and  before  leaving  the  house,  Dr. turned  to  Mr. , 

the  longer-winded  of  the  two  pettifoggers,  and  said  : — 


THE   LAWYERS,   SOLD.  203 

"  Mr. I  have  heard  you  with  patience,  and  have 

wasted  one  entire  day  about  this  trifling  case.  If  your 
time  is  worth  nothing,  mine  is,  and  I  shall  come  here  to- 
morrow at  nine  to  give  you  my  decision.  If  you  can  pos- 
sibly have  any  more  to  say,  you  must  say  it  within  one 
hour  after  my  arrival,  or  you  can  settle  the  affair  between 
yourselves,  as  you  best  may." 

Mr. assured  the  Doctor  that  he  would  conclude  in 

a  few  words,  arid  they  parted  for  the  night. 

At  the  appointed  time  the  Doctor  arrived  on  horseback, 
hitched  his  horse,  went  in,  took  his  seat,  and,  as  he  did  so, 
pulled  out  his  watch  and  laid  it  upon  the  table  before 
him. 

The  case  re-commenced,  and  again  went  on  with 

his  interminable  argument.  After  listening  for  an  hour, 
the  Doctor  very  quietly  put  his  watch  in  his  pocket,  left 
the  room,  mounted  his  horse,  and  rode  off  upon  his  busi- 
ness, leaving  Mr. continuing  his  harangue,  and  sup- 
posing the  Doctor's  absence  would  be  but  temporary.  How 
long  he  continued  I  know  not,  but  it  was  long  a  standing 
joke  against  him ;  and  it  is  said  the  Doctor  was  bored 
with  no  more  tedious  trials. 

To  the  town,  where — for  the  time  being — the  district 
court  is  in  session,  flock  all  the  petty  gamblers  of  the 
adjoining  county.  As  a  general  thing,  they  are  men  of 
very  small  capital  indeed.  In  fact,  of  the  dozen  or  more 
of  these  "  chevaliers  d? Industrie"  who  are  always  to  be 
found  upon  such  occasions,  it  is  very  seldom  that  more 
than  one  of  them  possesses  enough  of  the  res  pecuniee  to 
commence  business,  with  a  very  moderate  Faro  Sank. 
Around  the  bank,  when  opened,  the  remainder  of  the 
gang  cling,  until  a  run  of  luck  shall  have  made  some  one 


204  TERM-TIME  IN  THE   BACK-WOODS. 

of  them  master  of  the  funds,  and  broken  the  pro  tern, 
banker. 

The  then  holder  of  their  very  circulating  medium,  now 
commences  business  himself,  and  continues  until  tripped 
up  in  the  same  manner  as  his  predecessor,  and  the  game 
continues  to  be  played  day  after  day,  and  week  after 
week,  reminding  one — for  all  the  world — of  a  flock  of 
hens  pursuing  the  fortunate  finder  of  a  kernel  of  corn, 
chasing  her  until  she  drops  it ;  and  then — the  loser  join- 
ing with  her  compeers  in  the  chase — all  hands  start  after 
the  finder,  until  the  disputed  article  is  usually  lost ; 
whereas,  had  they  all  attended  to  their  legitimate  busi- 
ness, each  might  have  found  a  kernel  of  her  own. 

The  "  picayune  gambler,"  as  he  is  there  called,  usually 
owns  a  horse  and  rigging,  and  a  floating  capital  of  from 
fifty  cents  to  one  hundred  dollars.  The  horse  is  his  last 
resource,  and  only  staked  when  affairs  become  desperate 
indeed  ;  when  lost,  the  quondam  owner  is  said  to  be  flat 
broke  or  flat  footed,  and  must  beg,  borrow,  or  steal,  for  a 
stake. 

As  they  never  work,  and  are  always  hanging  about  the 
taverns  and  groceries,  it  is  rather  astonishing  how  they 
contrive  to  subsist ;  but  subsist  they  do,  and  as  each  clique 
about  every  little  town  seems  to  have  just  a  certain 
amount  of  money,  I  imagine  that  stray  pigeons  are 
found  in  sufficient  numbers,  from  time  to  time,  whose 
plucking  serves  to  keep  their  expenses  from  eating  up 
their  capital. 

The  quiet  inhabitants  do  not  dare  to  interfere  with  the 
clan  openly,  but  on  the  contrary,  prefer  keeping  up  some 
pretence  of  good  fellowship  with  them  ;  and  all  attempts 
to  uproot  them  by  law  have  entirely  failed. 


THE  KANGAROO  JUDGE.  205 

One  of  the  principal  amusements  of  the  bar  during  these 
sessions  of  the  court,  is  to  assemble  in  some  sufficiently 
capacious  room,  and  after  indulging  in  all  the  boyish 
games  that  occur  to  them,  to  institute  mock  proceedings 
against  some  one  of  their  number,  for  some  ridiculous, 
imaginary  offence. 

One  of  these  "  circuit  evenings"  is  very  green  in  my 
memory — and  I  do  not  ever  remember  to  have  laughed  so 
long  or  so  heartily  before  or  since,  as  I  did  then,  at  seeing 
the  wisest  and  most  intelligent  men  in  the  country  entering 
with  perfectly  childish  enjoyment  and  abandon,  into  child- 
ish jokes  and  childish  games. 

The  scene  was  a  log  hut,  containing  one  room  and 
some  dozen  beds,  upon  which,  lying,  sitting,  or  in  an 
intermediate  posture,  were  at  least  thirty  members  of  the 
courts. 

After  playing  "  Simon,"  "  What  is  my  Thought  Like  ?" 
and  a  dozen  similar  games,  one  of  the  company  arose  and 
announced  in  a  most  funereal  tone  that  a  member  of  the 
bar  had — he  deeply  and  sincerely  regretted  to  state — been 
guilty  of  a  most  aggravated  offence  against  decency,  and 
the  dignity  of  his  profession,  and  he  therefore  moved 
that  a  Judge  be  appointed  and  the  case  regularly  inquired 
into. 

By  an  unanimous  vote,  Judge  G. — the  fattest  and 
funniest  of  the  assembly — was  elected  to  the  bench, 
and  the  "  Mestang"  or  "  Kangaroo  Court"  regularly  orga- 
nized. Impossible  as  it  would  be  for  any  one  to  convey 
to  the  reader  a  correct  idea  of  the  ludicrous  and  supremely 
ridiculous  scene  which  ensued,  I  will  yet  attempt  it. 

The  Judge  opened  the  court  something  in  this  wise  : — 

11  Gentlemen  of  the  Bar,  Jury,  Witnesses,  Criminals,  and 


206  TERM-TIME   IN   THE   BACK-WOODS. 

Constables,  Clerks  of  the  Court,  and  Prosecuting  Attor- 
neys— It  has  been  a  source  of  deep  regret  to  me  and 
doubtless  to  many  of  you,  that  our  bar — of  the  grocery,  I 
mean — has  of  late  fallen  into  disuse,  owing  to  the  criminal 
want  of  criminal  fines  properly  imposed,  whereby  the 
pockets  of  the  bar-tenders,  and  throats  of  our  honorable 
body  have  suffered  an  unprecedented  dryness. 

"  It  therefore  behoves  us  all,  acting  in  our  several  capa- 
cities, to  do  our  duty  most  strictly  in  this  matter.  Suffer- 
ing no  criminal  to  go  unpunished — no  innocent  accused, 
to  escape  conviction,  but  each  one  striving  for  the  common 
end,  heap  up  fines  to  be  liquidated  in  liquors  at  the  bar, 
payable  in  a  circulating  medium,  whose  circulation  has  not 
been  above  medium  in  these  latter  days — and  thus  evade 
the  deep  and  heavy  mantle  of  disgrace  which  is  fast  set- 
tling around  our  once  honored  shoulders. 

"  The  case  about  to  be  submitted  to  you  is  one  of  an 
extraordinary  and  atrocious  character — " 

SPECTATOR.  "  Had  not  your  honor  better  appoint  a  jury 
before  proceeding  to  trial  ?" 

JUDGE.  "  Silence,  sir  ;  do  you  dare  instruct  the  court  ? 
Mr.  Sheriff,  I  fine  this  person  '  whiskey  straight '  for  con- 
tempt of  court,  and  do  you  attend  to  the  collection." 

SECOND  SPECTATOR.  "  Please  your  honor,  no  sheriff  has 
yet  been  nominated." 

JUDGE.  "  Thomas  Jones,  you  are  hereby  appointed  the 
High  Sheriff  of  this,  our  honorable  court,  and  will  collect 
of  the  contumacious  individual  who  last  volunteered  his 
knowledge,  a  treat  all  around,  as  soon  as  I  shall  have 
administered  the  customary  oaths  of  office.  Stand  up,  sir, 
take  off  your  coat — now.  You,  Thomas  Jones,  in  the 
presence  of  this  hon.  body,  do  most  distinctly  affirm  that 


TAKING   "A   SWEAR."  207 

you  will  perform  the  duties  of  your  onerous  office  in  a 
worthy  and  dignified  manner  ;  that  when  sent  after  a  cri- 
minal you  will  never  return  a  '  non  est  comeatibus  ;'  but 
in  default  of  the  guilty  party,  pick  up  the  first  man  you 
can  lay  hands  on ;  that  when  sent  to  the  grocery  to  col- 
lect a  fine,  you  will  not  drink  more  than  half  the  liquor  on 
your  homeward  path,  that  you  will  never  fob  any  change, 
without  handing  over  one  half  the  net  proceeds  to  the 
court — all  this  you  promise  truly  and  faithfully  to  per- 
form, as  you  fear  your  wife,  and  love  brandy  and  water." 

SHERIFF  (looking  around  and  speaking  hesitatingly).  "  If 
— any — gentleman — will — hold — will  hold  my  hat,  while  I 
take  a  swear — " 

JUDGE.  "  No  you  don't,  sir,  no  swearing  here,  or  I'll  fine 
you — your  word  is  as  good  as  your  bond,  and  neither  of 
them  worth  a  copper.  Select  a  jury,  sir." 

The  jury  being  properly  selected,  his  honor  proceeded 
to  address  them  : — 

JUDGE.  "  Gentlemen  of  the  Jury — the  case  about  to  be 
presented  to  you,  as  I  have  before  remarked,  is  one  of 
an  extraordinary  and  atrocious  character.  One  who  has 
hitherto  concealed  his  crime  beneath  the  exterior  of 
respectable  age,  is  now  to  be  stripped  of  the  cloak  that 
has  so  long  shrouded  him  from  a  prying  world.  Mr. 
Sheriff,  trot  out  the  individual." 

The  sheriff  here  produced  the  youngest,  most  correctly 
attired,  and  by  far  the  finest  looking  member  present. 

JUDGE.  "  Ah,  well,  not  so  old  after  all,  but,  gentlemen, 
it  makes  no  difference,  he  will  be,  should  he  live  long 
enough.  Who  appears  upon  the  part  of  the  Republic? 
Mr.  Clerk,  read  the  indictment :" — 


208  TERM-TIME  IN  THE   BACK-WOODS. 

THE   INDICTMENT. 

The   Mestang  Republic. 

Kangaroo,  to  wit  : — At  the  special  court  of  Kangaroo 
county,  begun  and  holden  in  the  very  extensive  city  of 
Kangaroo,  to  wit :  One  old  shed  for  a  court-house,  two 
taverns  such  as  they  are,  one  blacksmith  shop,  with  a  post- 
office  attachment,  six  groceries  which  we  mean  to  leave  as 
dry  as  an  old  maid's  lips,  five  banks  (faro),  and  nothing 
else  :  on  the  last  Tuesday  of  pea  time,  and  Anno  Domini 
— not  a  soul  of  us  can  distinctly  remember,  having  very 
lately  dined,  although  the  last  is  of  very  little  conse- 
quence : 

The  Jurors  for  the  Mestang  Republic  on  their  oaths, 
present  that  JOHN  SMITH,  of  no  particular  place,  calling 
himself  a  gentleman,  although  no  one  believes  him,  did, 
somewhere  in  the  vicinity  of  the  last  "  cotton  scraping 
time,"  there  or  thereabouts,  and  not  much  matter  when,  so 
he  did  it — with  sticks,  stones,  guns  and  pistols,  and  a  pair 
of  instruments  called,  known,  and  described,  in  vulgar  par- 
lance— "  lips,"  being  the  labial  protuberances  of  the  human 
face  divine  [Any  one,  however,  who  might  call  the  said 
John  Smith's  face  divine,  if  not  quite  a  fool,  must  at  least 
be  six  degrees  the  other  side  of  idiocy],  inflict  upon  the 
right  cheek  of  a  certain  juvenile  female  colored  person,  of 
the  age  of  seventy — there  or  thereabouts,  known  to  the 
community  in  general,  as  Polly,  a  kiss  of  about  the  size  of 
a  dollar,  or  perhaps  a  dollar  and  a  half,  or  perhaps  two 
dollars,  thereby  injuring  the  feelings,  compromising  the 
character,  and  undermining  the  health  of  the  said  "  Polly," 
occasioning  an  explosion,  which  disturbed  the  slumbers  of 


AN  INDICTMENT — AND  A   HALF.  209 

many  citizens  who  were  then  enjoying  a  siesta,  intruding 
upon  the  majesty  of  this  republic,  and  reflecting  upon  the 
dignity  of  a  profession,  of  which,  however,  the  least  said 
the  better. 

And  the  jurors  aforesaid  do  further  present  that  they 
could  add  any  given  number  of  counts  to  this  indictment, 
but  as  it  would  consume  some  time,  the  Court  will  suppose 
anything  found  against  the  said  Smith  which  the  said 
Court  may  please. 

THOMAS  JENKINS,  Foreman  of  the  Grand  Jury. 

WILLIAM  BROWN,  Attorney  General^ 

The  testimony  upon  the  part  of  the  prosecution  was  upon 
a  par  with  the  indictment.  One  witness  swearing  that  he 
saw  the  woman  Polly  emerge  from  the  prisoner's  room 
with  a  large  white  spot  upon  her  cheek  ;  another,  that 
aroused  by  a  terrific  explosion,  he  saw  Polly  rushing  out ; 
a  third,  that  Polly  had  applied  to  him  for  a  plaster  to 
draw  "  the  fire"  from  the  wound  ;  and  several  testified  to 
the  excessively  delicate  condition  of  the  sufferer's  health 
since  the  sad  accident. 

After  a  flaming  speech  by  the  prosecuting  attorney,  the 
prisoner,  being  called  upon  for  his  defence,  arose  and 
replied  as  follows  : — 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  Jury  : — Suddenly  arrested  in  the  midst 
of  a  career  of  usefulness,  honor,  and  happiness  ;  charged 
with  an  ignominious  crime,  it  is  to  me  a  source  of  most 
heartfelt  gratification,  that  I  am  to  appear  before  a  body 
of  men  of  so  much  intelligence,  so  highly  favored  by 
nature,  with  noble  forms,  and  expressive  countenances,  and 
endowed  by  the  faithful  Schneider's  art  with  such  unex- 
ceptionable vestments. 


210  TERM-TIME   IN   THE   BACK-WOODS. 

"  The  prosecuting  Attorney,  he,  of  the  petrified  heart  and 
revolting  phiz,  flatters  himself  that  he  has  macadamized  the 
road  which  will  conduct  me  to  the  silent  tomb  ;  which, 
gentlemen,  he  is  full  well  aware  would  be  my  tenement, 
should  your  fateful  voices  not  declare  me  free  from  spot 
or  stain. 

"  He  has  magnetized  a  rope  of  sand,  and  bound  me  with 
it ;  but  see,  how  with  one  touch  of  the  wand  of  Truth, 
potent  as  Ithuriel's  spear,  it  shall  fall  asunder. 

Brought  up  in  my  earlier  days  by  a  father  and  mother, 
I  soon  was  taught 

Since  innocence  is  bliss,  'tis  the  height  of  folly  to  do  any  otherwise, 

and  have  continued  to  increase  in  virtue  and  in  size,  until 
a  few  short  years  past,  when  finding  my  full  perfectness 
attained,  I  shut  down,  and  have  done  no  more  in  that  line 
since. 

"  This,  .gentlemen,  is  the  first  rude  blight  that  has  fallen 
upon  my  budding  fame  ;  the  first  cloud  that  has  darkened 
my  brilliant  horizon  of  future  promise,  but  that  cloud  shall 
be  swept  away  by  the  breath  of  your  all  potent  voice.  My 
sun  shall  shine  again  in  your  smiles  ;  the  bud  refreshed  by 
my  fast  falling,  falling  tears  (applying  a  handkerchief  to  his 
eyes),  shall  rejuvenate  to  its  primeval  lustre." 

SPECTATOR  (interrupting).  "  T'wont,  salt  water  aint  good 
for  plants." 

PRISONER  (resuming).  "  Silence,  Sir,  and  pity  the  sorrows 
of  a  poor  young  man.  Gentlemen,  on  that  sad  day  upon 
which  I  am  charged  with  the  commission  of  so  heinous  an 
offence,  having  partaken  with  you  of  a  full,  but  not  sump, 
tuous  dinner,  I  retired  to  my  accustomed  room  to  recupe- 
rate wearied  nature  with  a  restorative  siesta. 


THE  BIRD  OF  FREEDOM,  WELL  EMPLOYED.     211 

"  My  waking  senses  lapsed  soon  into  forgetfulness.  I  had 
been  thinking,  I  remember,  of  our  hope  for  annexation, 
and  busy  imagination  pictured  me  to  myself,  as  wrapped 
to  sleep  in  the  folds  of  the  star-spangled  banner,  while  the 
Eagle  of  Freedom,  with  slow-moving  wings,  fanned  my 
moist,  but  burning  brow.  I  walked  in  Elysium,  in  the 
yale  of  Tempe,  rare  flowers  were  blooming  around  me, 
filling  the  eye  with  beauty,  and  the  air  with  fragrance. 
Birds  of  gorgeous  plumage  flitted  to  and  fro,  or  rested 
upon  some  flower-clad  tree,  and  breathed  forth  their  deli- 
cious notes.  Fat  turkeys  that  I  had  not  dined  upon,  were 
swimming  before  me  in  a  duck  pond  of  cranberry  sauce, 
and  gobbling  ferociously  at  a  particularly  tough  and  dys- 
peptic piece  of  hung  beef  upon  which  I  had. 

"  A.  change  came  over  the  spirit  of  my  dream,  the  heavens 
were  clothed  with  black,  a  peal  of  thunder  burst  upon  my 
ear,  and  rolled  in  terrific  grandeur,  echoing  from  crag  to 
crag.  I  sprang  up  in  affright,  and,  behold,  it  was  Judge 
G.,  saluting  my  washerwoman.  The  sufferer,  taken  at 
surprise  by  the  rude  assault,  rushed  from  the  apartment. 
The  culprit  quaked  with  fear,  waddled  towards  the  bed, 
and  ducked  under  it,  to  hide  his  diminished  head.  A  com- 
panion who  had  been  dozing — joint  occupant  with  me  of 
my  bed,  assisted  me,  and  we  finally,  vi  et  armis — " 

JUDGE.     "  No  Choctaw,  Sir — use  plain  English." 

PRISONER.  "  Wtell,  then,  by  main  force,  we  drew  him 
from  his  position,  and  having  lectured  him  with  tears  in 
our  eyes,  bade  him  go  and  sin  no  more.  I  now  call  upon 
Tobias  Wilkins  to  prove  the  truth  of  my  statement." 

I  shall  not  recapitulate  the  testimony  of  Wilkins,  which 
corroborated  the  prisoner's  assertion.  After  another 
speech  or  two,  the  Judge  charged  the  jury,  bearing  down 


212  TEEM-TIME   IN  THE  BACK-WOODS. 

upon  the  prisoner  ferociously,  and  ordering  them  to  give 
him  the  benefit  of  the  most  severe  sentence  in  their  power. 
The  jury,  after  a  moment's  whispered  consultation, 
announced  by  the  Foreman  that  they  had  found  a  verdict. 

JUDGE.  "  What  say  you,  gentlemen  ?  Guilty,  or  not 
guilty  ?" 

FOREMAN.  "  We  wish  to  inquire  of  your  Honor,  whether 
Polly  is  in  a  state  of  single  blessedness,  or  a  legalized 
sticking  plaster  to  the  side  of  some  respectable  colored 
gentleman." 

JUDGE.  "  Married,  I  believe  ;  although  I  cannot  imagine 
what  that  has  to  do  with  the  case." 

FOREMAN.  "  We  then  find  your  Honor,  Judge  G.,  to  be 
guilty  of  piracy  upon  the  high  seize,  having  plundered  a 
smack,  and  of  counterfeiting,  for  your  portable  imitation  of 
Thunder.  You  will,  therefore,  please  put  your  old  fur  cap 
upon  your  head,  and  sentence  yourself  to  pay  for  all  the 
fluids  at  the  bar,  to  which  we  are  about  to  adjourn,  the 
District  Attorney  to  find  the  necessary  cigars,  and  the 
informer  the  eatables." 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

DIAMOND   CUT  DIAMOND — STOCKING  THE   CARDS. 

IF  the  recital  of  the  mock  trial  should  amuse  my  readers 
one  half  as  much  as"  the  performance  did  me,  I  shall  be 
well  repaid  for  recording  it.  Ormsby  and  I,  however, 
had  but  little  time  to  spend  in  amusing  ourselves.  We 
had  not  a  single  witness  ;  the  lawyer  who  undertook  the 
case,  in  all  its  bearings,  was  absent ;  some  very  important 
documents,  which  the  colonel  was  to  have  sent  us  from 
Austin,  had  not  yet  arrived  ;  and  as  Ormsby — who  was  an 
adept  at  the  game  of  "  Poker,"  expressed  it — "  we  held  a 
'  straight,'  and  were  obliged  to  see  our  adversaries 
'blind.'" 

"  Never  mind  my  boy,  though,"  said  he,  "  we've  just  the 
hand  to  '  brag'  on,  and  if  I  dont  '  bluff  these  chaps  off,  it 
shant  be  for  want  of  brass ;  if  they  floor  us  we  can  but 
lose  the  ante,  call  for  a  new  '  deck/  and  begin  de 
novo" 

No  business  of  importance  was  transacted  on  Monday. 
The  court  was  opened  in  due  form  ;  the  Grand  Jury  sworn, 
charged,  and  set  to  work,  and  that  was  about  all.  Ormsby 
was  here  and  there  and  everywhere  ;  and  the  only  thing 
satisfactory  that  I  could  get  from  him  was  a  promise  that 
he  would  be  disengaged,  and  in  my  room,  during  the  even- 
ing ;  and  a  request  to  keep  as  quiet  as  possible  and  let  him 
play  his  own  game. 

After  supper  he  made  his  appearance,  accompanied  by 


214  DIAMOND    CUT   DIAMOND. 

the  Sheriff  and  District  Attorney.  It  was  some  time  before 
anything  but  the  ordinary  topics  of  the  day  were  discussed. 
At  last,  Ormsby  turned  to  the  Sheriff  with  the  remark, 

"  Come,  Mr.  Sheriff,  you  must  help  us  in  this  matter." 

"  Why,  Judge,"  replied  the  Sheriff,  "  I  don't  know  about 
interfering  in  any  way  ;  it's  not  exactly  the  thing,  and 
might  get  me  into  trouble." 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,  sir,"  returned  Ormsby  ;  "  you  know 
well  enough  that  the  principals,  and  most  of  the  witnesses 
on  the  other  side,  belong  to  this  clan,  that  you,  and  I,  and 
our  friend,  Mr.  District  Attorney,  have  been  trying  for  a 
long  time  to  unearth  ;  and,  if  necessary,  I  shall  make  a 
formal  call  upon  you  for  your  assistance,  and  any  informa- 
tion you  may  possess  in  the  premises."  > 

"  You  will  be  perfectly  safe,  Sheriff,"  added  the  District 
Attorney,  "  in  opening  your  budget.  And  I  join  with  niy 
friend  and  superior,  the  Judge,  in  demanding,  or  request- 
ing to  know  all  that  you  can  tell  us  of  this  matter,  of 
Henkins  against  Ting  and  others.  I  wish  to  know  par- 
ticularly if,  among  the  witnesses,  there  be  not  some  against 
whom  I  have  indictments.  So  please  make  a  clean  breast 
of  it  at  once." 

,  "  Well,  gentlemen,"  returned  the  Sheriff,  "  if  you  put  it 
upon  that  score  I  must  comply,  although  perhaps  I  had 
better  keep  some  of  my  information  for  the  Grand  Jury." 

"  No,  sir,  you  don't,"  answered  Ormsby.  "  Time  enough 
for  the  Grand  Jury  yet ;  we  must  deliberate  and  act  with 
extreme  caution  in  this  matter.  Now  cut  this  matter  as 
short  as  may  be,  for  time  is  money,  and  a  heap  of  it  too, 
with  us  this  night." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Judge,  or,  perhaps  I  had  better  say  Mr. 
Attorney  General — for  I  prefer  just  now  to  consider  you 


A   VERY   NICE   CASE.  215 

in  that  light — I  do  believe,  upon  my  word,  that  this  case 
of  Henkins  is  one  mass  of  rascality  from  beginning  to  the 
end  ;  and  if  it  were  not  so,  the  colonel's  chance  would  not 
be  worth  the  price  of  a  summons.  They  have  a  clear  title, 
approved  by  the  board,  while  the  colonel  only  claims  to 
have  made  the  original  survey,  and  deposited  the  proper 
documents  in  the  surveyor's  office  with  a  deputy  who  died, 
disappeared,  or  took  himself  off — the  last  is  the  most 
likely — immediately  after  ;  and  to  have  -occupied  and 
improved  the  land,  but  only  when  all  question  had  appa- 
rently been  settled  by  the  commissioners.  Now,  as  I  said, 
he  only  claims  these  grounds  for  a  title  ;  he  can't  prove 
them  ;  he  has  not  as  yet  been  able  to  bring  in  a  single 
witness  to  establish  the  survey,  or  the  fact  of  depositing 
his  papers  in  the  office  ;  his  papers,  even  if  not  destroyed, 
are  in  the  hands  of  his  enemies,  and  some  of  them,  at  least, 
made  over  to  that  scamp  Horseley.  What  then  is  the 
reason  that  Henkins'  lawyers  don't  force  the  case  on,  and 
get  a  decision  ?  Because  they  know  the  rottenness  of  their 
foundation,  and  the  bad  metal  of  the  tools  with  which  they 
work.  They  can't  get  Horseley  to  come  up  to  the  rack  ; 
he  has  a  wholesome  fear  of  the  colonel's  drawing  a  bead 
upon  him  ;  and  then  your  people  have  been  rummaging, 
and  poking,  and  working  in  the  dark  so  much,  that  they 
fear,  when  they  get  their  witnesses  on  the  stand,  you  will 
trip  up  their  heels  somehow,  and  get  a  hold  upon  the  jury, 
who  we  all  know,  in  such  cases,  care  little  for  points  of 
law  or  a  judge's  charge. 

"  I  have  just  received  information  of  an  accident  that 
helps  your  case  mightily.  Mr.  P.,  your  counsel,  that  was 
to  have  arranged  and  managed  this  case,  was  riding  in  a 
gig  with  Muggridge — Henkins'  great  gun — in  Galveston, 


216  DIAMOND   CUT  DIAMOND. 

the  other  day,  when  their  heads  being  too  light  or  bodies 
too  heavy,  the  horse  starts,  mashes  up,  upsets,  or  breaks 
down  the  gig,  and  nearly  breaks  up  the  gentlemen  at  the 
same  time.  They  are  certainly  fixed  for  slow  travelling 
for  a  month  to  come.  Muggridge's  partner,  Small,  is  a 
capital  lawyer,  but  wants  nerve,  and  is  never  to  be  trusted 
alone.  With  his  senior  at  his  elbow  he  can  get  along 
swimmingly  ;  but  let  him  be  left  alone,  and  have  anything 
unexpected  turn  up,  and  he  lets  go  all  and  breaks  right 
down  ;  so  you  see  by  the  upset,  they  have  lost  their  best 
man,  and  you  have  gained  our  friend,  the  Judge,  who,  in 
this  case,  is  worth  a  heap  of  such  very  learned  lawyers  as 
your  man  is.  Small  don't  know  a  word  about  his  partner's 
fix,  and  he  shan't,  till  to-morrow  ;  and  you  must  take 
advantage  of  the  flurry  he  will  be  in  when  he  finds  the 
case  will  come  on,  and  his  general  wont.  They  have  got 
record  testimony  enough,  in  all  conscience,  and  a  set  of 
scamps  for  witnesses  ;  but  they  rely  principally  upon  a 
no-account  whelp  who,  it  seems,  was, one  of  the  colonel's 
surveying  party,  and  I  imagine,  has  been  bribed  and 
trained  to  swear  just  what  they  want.  His  name  is 
Whitely,  and  he  is  a  kind  of  hanger  on  of  the  judge's  old 
friend.  Sol  Wilgus.  If  they  can  keep  him  sober,  they  can  do 
anything  they  please  with  him,  but  if  he  gets  a  little  over 
the  bay,  the  d — 1  himself  couldn't  handle  him.  Sol  has  him 
in  charge,  and  is  to  keep  him  straight ;  but  Sol  can't  keep 
away  from  "  the  tiger"  (the  game  of  Faro),  that  is  spread- 
ing out  his  claws  at  Budd's  grocery,  in  the  back  room,  and 
Whitely  is  staked  out  at  old  man  Jepp's,  out  here  a  couple 
of  miles.  If  any  one  can  manage  Sol,  the  judge  can. 
There,  you  have  all  the  items  I  can  give  you,  and  you  must 
make  the  most  of  it.  Good  night,  and  keep  dark." 


SOL   WILGtJS.  217 

"  A  pretty  good  hand,"  said  the  judge,  as  the  door  closes 
behind  our  two  friends  ;  "  a  pretty  good  hand  if  well 

played.  P ,  lend  me  all  the  money  you  have  ;  my 

purse  is  better  lined  than  usual,  but  I  may  want  more. 
You  must  stay  here  ;  get  things  fixed  up  snug — a  deck  of 
cards  and  a  bottle  of  brandy — and  I  will  be  back  with  Sol 
Wilgus  before  long.  Keep  cool  and  don't  get  nervous." 
And  off  he  went. 

This  Wilgus,  upon  whom  the  judge  depended  so  much, 
was,  as  my  quizzical  friend  termed  him,  one  of  the  "  d — 1's 
unaccountables."  Too  lazy  to  work,  too  fond  of  petty 
jockeying  to  be  honest,  full  of  rude  wit  and  practical  jokes, 
too  powerful  and  courageous  a  man  to  be  quarrelled  with, 
and  too  good-humored  to  quarrel,  never  committing  any 
act  of  violence  or  descending  to  theft ;  but,  as  he  said, 
"just  getting  an  easy  living-  as  he  went  along  ;"  he  was 
looked  upon  as  a  necessary  evil,  and  a  very  amusing  one 
at  that.  "Whenever  he  honored  the  town  with  his  pre- 
sence, and  located  himself,  pro  tern.,  in  an  easy  attitude 
upon  the  piazza  of  one  of  the  groceries,  cracking  his  jokes 
and  telling  his  stories,  a  crowd  would  always  gather 
around  him  ;  and  among  them  were  many  who  had  better 
have  been  better  employed. 

In  about  an  hour  Ormsby  arrived  with  Sol  in  tow,  both 
in  great  good  humor  and  as  merry  as  could  be. 

"  Three  cheers  for  my  system  of  practice,"  said  the 
judge,  as  he  entered.  "  I  can  beat  my  sub  all  to  sticks  at 
breaking  up  faro-banks.  I've  broke  Budd's,  and  shut  up 
his  '  tiger'  for  this  night  at  least." 

"  Might'  apt,"  chimed  in  Sol.  "  The  Judge  rs  some,  I  tell 
ye,  and  this  child  was  a  commin'  it,  too,  right  on  his 
trail,  ondly  I  couldn't  bark  quite  so  peart.  Dog-on- 
10 


218  DIAMOND    CUT   DIAMOND. 

my  cat  ef  we  wern't  ater  that  tiger  with  a  sharp  stick, 
Mr.  P." 

"  Glad  to  hear  it,  Sol,"  said  I,  "  but  you  must  need  wet- 
ting down  after  such  warm  work  ;  there's  some  brandy 
and  water  on  the  table." 

"  I'm  thar,"  replied  Sol,  "  but  don't  mind  the  water.  I'm 
powerful  fond  on't,  but  likes  it  best  outside.  Come,  Judge, 
here's  to  them  paws  with  the  claws  drawed  out." 

"  I  think  you  must  hare  a  big  enough  pile  to  start  a 
menagerie  on  your  own  account,"  replied  the  Judge. 

"  A  young  one,  prehaps,  Judge  ;  some  one  must  do  it, 
that's  shua,"  said  Sol ;  "  ef  they  don't,  what  '11  the  grand 
jury,  and  your  leftenant,  the  persecutin  atterney,  do  for 
gamblin'  cases  ?  But  ef  I'm  to  open  a  game,  I  recken  I'd 
best  not  take  that  small  hand  of  poker  with  you.  Thar's 

Mr.  P ,  now,  I  could  take  out  his  eye-teeth  and  he 

wouldn't  know  it ;  but,  dern  my  skin,  ef  fancy  playin's  any 
whar  longside  of  you." 

"  Well,  well,  Sol,  don't  be  alarmed.  No  need  of  a  game. 
Sit  down  and  let's  have  a  chat  upon  matters  and  things," 
answered  Ormsby.  "  How  is  your  friend  that  you  have 
staked  out  for  the  night  at  old  Jepp's?" 

"  Thar.  I'd  a  sworn  it ;  you  didn't  give  me  an  invite  up 
here  to  take  a  horn  for  nothin.  You're  one  of  em.  I  allers 
said  it,  and  I'll  stick  to  it.  Come,  open  pan  and  out  with 
it ;  ef  I  kin  do  anythin,  say  it,  and  Sol's  the  child  for  the 
game.  Many's  the  foul  snap  you've  see  me  clar  of,  and 
many's  the  time  you've  let  me  up  when  them  all-fired  grand 
jury  doins  got  me  down,  and  Sol  don't  forget.  Spit  it 
out,  and  ef  it's  anything  but  work,  jest  say,  it's  done,"  was 
Sol's  reply. 

"  How  much  does  Small  pay  you  for  mounting  guard 


DEFINING  OUR  POSITION.  219 

over  Wilgus,  and  leaving  him  out  on  the  prairie  while 
you  are  playing  with  the  tiger  ?"  inquired  Ormsby. 

"Dern  his  skin,  the  no  'count  ornary  pup,"  replied  Sol. 
"  I  got  broke,  and  hunted  him  up  to  get  an  X,  and  don't 
you  think,  the  jo-fired  mean  whelp  wouldn't  stake  me,  but 
read  me  a  lecter  about  the  keerds,  and  tho'  I  teld  him  I'd 
got  Wilgus  comfetable  tight  and  safe  in  bed,  and  wer 
gwine  to  fotch  him  up  to  the  stand  in  the  mornin',  bright 
as  one  of  them  half  dollars  they  say  old  Henkins  makes 
down  to  Dickinson's  Bayou,  he  ripped  and  tore  so,  that 
I  had  to  make  out  I  were  a  startin'  fer  Jepp's.  He  made 
his  threats  too,  and  ef  I  don't  come  our  even  with  him 
afore  it's  done,  jest  say  Sol  Wilgus  is  gone  under." 

"  Sol,"  said  Ormsby,  in  a  quiet  and  impressive  manner, 
"just  cool  off  and  listen.  I  want  to  tell  you  a  story. 
Some  time  ago — no  matter  when — but  before  poor  Jack 
was  appointed  Judge,  he  had  a  very  tough  case  to  man- 
age. His  client  was  a  straightforward,  honest  man,  just 
like  Colonel  Ting ;  and  the  other  side  was  nothing  but 
rascality,  but  Rascality  had  plenty  of  witnesses,  cocked 
and  primed,  to  swear  to  anything,  and  what  was  worse, 
Rascality  had  stolen  all  of  Honesty's  testimony — record 
and  parole — hid  his  papers,  and  drove  off  his  men. 

"  Jack  wanted  to  get  the  case  put  over,  but  was  afraid 
that  he  could  not,  and  so  he  set  his  wits  to  work,  to  tip 
over  his  neighbor's  crib,  as  he  couldn't  get  any  corn  into 
his  own.  Mr.  Rascality's  main  witness  was  a  fellow  that 
could  not  be  trusted  except  when  he  was  sober,  and  so  he 
was  put  under  the  charge  of  a  very  worthy  and  honest 
scamp,  that  got  his  living  by  playing  faro,  and  poker, 
jockeying  horses,  and  betting  on  quarter  races,  and  mak- 
ing very  respectable  men  laugh  at  his  queer  capers,  and 


220  DIAMOND  CUT  DIAMOND. 

help  him  out  of  scrapes  when  they  should  have  helped  him 
into  the  county  jail — if  there  had  only  been  one."  Here 
the  Judge  looked  very  knowingly  at  Sol,  who  hit  me 
a  sly  poke  in  the  side,  acknowledged  the  Judge's  glance 
with  an  expressive  wink,  helped  himself  liberally  to  the 
contents  of  the  bottle,  offered  it  to  the  narrator,  was  not 
refused,  and  then  settled  himself  down  gravely  to  hear 
and  comprehend  the  rest  of  the  tale. 

"  Mr.  Rascality's  lawyers  did  not  know  that  Jack  was 
engaged  on  the  other  side,  or  they  would  not  have  chosen 
the  chap  they  did.  Jack  knew  that  his  man  could  not 
stay  on  duty  as  long  as  there  was  a  faro  bank  agoing  in 
the  town,  and  so  he  went  to  the  grocery  where  the  game 
was  on  foot  to  find  him,  and  then  sat  down  and  broke  the 
bank,  so  as  to  get  him  away  ;  took  him  home,  told  him  a 
story  that  any  fool  could  understand — it  won't  do  to 
speak  too  plain  in  these  matters — played  a  game  of  poker, 
and  lost  twenty  dollars  very  foolishly — " 

"  And  the  witness  didn't  make  a  show  next  mornin',  I 
reckon,"  interrupted  Sol. 

"  Yes,  but  he  did  though,"  resumed  the  Judge,  "  and  a 
very  pretty  show  too  ;  somehow  his  brain  had  got  a  twist, 
and  his  tongue  also.  He  had  forgotten  which  side  he  was 
on,  and  Mr.  Rascality's  lawyer  had  to  withdraw  his  case 
in  a  hurry." 

"  I  don't  believe  a  word  about  that's  happenin',"  said 
Sol,  "  yet  it  mought,  tho',  and  mighty  apt  too.  Jack  was 
smart,  but  it  warn't  him." 

"  Never  mind  who  it  was,"  answered  Ormsby,  "  it  did 
happen,  and  may  happen  again,  for  all  I  know.  Come, 
Sol,  that  game  of  poker." 

"  Oh,  let  the  poker  slide,  Judge,"  replied  Sol ;  "  some 


SOL  TAKES  THE  HINT.  221 

other  time,  when  I  want  a  stake,  or  get  into  a  scrape,  I'll 
make  a  call.  I  must  go  and  look  after  my  man.  Good 
night,  gentlemen.  Forgot  which  side  he  was  on,  eh? 
Well,  that's  some." 

"  Mr.  Ormsby,"  I  inquired,  when  Sol  had  retreated  out 
of  ear-shot,  "  can  we  trust  him  ?" 

"  Trust  him  !  yes.  Little  he  cares  for  Ting  or  Henkins, 
but  he  identifies  me  with  the  case,  and  would  as  soon  join 
the  Mexicans  as  betray  us,"  said  the  Judge.  "  Come,  to 
bed,  we  shall  have  to  stir  betimes  in  the  morning." 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

A  GAME  OP  BRAG — UNCLE   BILLY?S   OPINION   ABOUT  "  GOING 
OFF   HALF    COCKED." 

THE  day,  big  with  the  fate  of  Roberts  and  of  Ting, 
dawned  at  last.  My  breakfast  was  a  slight  one,  but 
Ormsby  did  not  allow  the  critical  position  of  his  client's 
case  to  interfere  with  the  filling  of  his  own.  He  seemed, 
in  fact,  in  as  great  a  glee  as  a  schoolboy  while  witnessing 
the  successful  prosecution  of  some  piece  of  cunning  mis- 
chief that  he  had  devised. 

Ten  o'clock  arrived  ;  the  sheriif  had  bawled  out  the 
necessary  "  0  Yes"  three  times,  and  the  court  was  opened. 
The  Judge  was  seated  in  his  throne  of  state — an  old 
kitchen  chair,  bottomed  with  oak  splints — upon  a  rude 
kind  of  dais  at  the  further  end  of  the  room,  and  behind  a 
rickety  desk  that  might  once  have  graced  a  district 
school.  Beneath  the  dignitary,  in  a  similar  chair  and 
before  a  small  pine  table,  sat  the  clerk  ;  and  ranged 
around  the  room,  or  placed  across  it,  were  sundry  benches, 
all  filled  with  spectators,  clients,  witnesses,  and  lawyers. 
For  the  latter's  especial  benefit,  two  strips  of  unplaned 
boards,  supported  upon  saw-horses,  had  been  improvised. 

Ormsby  gave  me  an  elbow  hint  to  look  at  Small,  who 
was  evidently  in  a  fidget,  and  just  as  my  glance  fell  upon 
him,  he  was  opening  a  letter  that  had  been  presented  by 
the  sheriff.  He  frowned,  muttered-  something,  and  crum- 
pling up  the  paper,  thrust  it  in  his  pocket. 


THE  GAME   OPENED.  223 

At  this  moment  the  case  was  called  up. 

"  Who  appears  for  the  plaintiff  in  this  ejectment  suit  ?" 
inquired  the  Judge. 

"  I  do,  your  honor,"  replied  Small  ;  "  but  I  am  sorry  to 
say  that  Mr.  Muggridge,  who  is  with  me  in  it,  has  been 
seriously  injured — as  I  have  just  learned — and  cannot 
attend." 

"  May't  please  your  honor,"  interrupted  Ormsby,  "  I 
appear  upon  the  defence,  and  have  had  but  twenty-four 
hours  to  examine  the  case,  which  my  learned  friend  has 
been  studying  for  the  last  three  years.  The  eminent  coun- 
sellor who  was  to  have  led  upon  our  side  was  unfortu- 
nately with  Mr.  Muggridge  when  the  accident  occurred, 
and  is  also  incapacitated  from  attending." 

"  Good  heavens !"  cried  the  Judge,  "  do  you  mean  to 
say,  gentlemen,  that  you  wish  to  have  this  interminable 
case  adjourned  again  ;  if  you  do,  I  assure  you  the  request 
must  come  from  both  sides,  and  coupled  with  weighty  and 
valid  reasons  too." 

"  I  assure  your  honor  that  you  will  find  no  impediment 
upon  our  part,"  replied  Ormsby.  "  We  are  probably  much 
better  prepared  than  the  adverse  party  have  any  idea  of." 

';  Why,  Ormsby,"  whispered  I  to  him,  as  he  took  his 
seat  again,  "  what  do  you  mean  by  throwing  away  this 
chance  of  obtaining  all  that  we  can  ask  for  ?" 

"  Hush  !"  said  he.  "  We  shall  get  it  adjourned,  and  be 
paid  for  it  too.  Look  at  Small ;  he  had  the  entire  getting 
up  of  the  prosecution,  and  yet  is  frightened  to  death. 
I've  fixed  his  flint ;  and  he  looks  as  if  he  expected  a  mine 
to  explode  beneath  his  feet ;  he  is  sure  we  have  laid  a  trap, 
and  when  he  gets  nervous  in  this  way,  is  as  helpless  as  an 
infant,  without  he  has  Muggridge  to  lean  upon." 


224  A  GAME   OF   BEAG. 

"  Mr.  Small,"  impatiently  exclaimed  the  Judge,  "  I  am 
waiting  to  hear  from  you." 

"  I  will  go  on,  your  honor,"  answered  Small,  in  a  timid, 
hesitating  manner,  "  although  I  think,  under  the  circum- 
stances, that — " 

Here  a  succession  of  "  whoops,"  that  proceeded  from 
some  one  under  the  window,  and  a  loud  cheer  from  a 
crowd,  who  had  evidently  assembled  outside  the  building, 
cut  the  attorney's  speech  short,  and  he  turned  pale  as 
death  when  the  same  voice  that  owned  the  "  whoops," 
yelled  out  in  tones  that  might  have  been  heard  a  mile — 

"  Hoopee,  boys  !  who's  afeard  ?  Hurray  for  . 

D — n  old  Henkins,  and  hurray  for  Cunnle  Ting.  Whar's 
the  Judge,  and  whar's  the  jury  ?  Fotch  'em  up,  and  I'll 
lay  down  the  lor  fer  'em.  Hurray  fer  Ormsby,  and  dern 
old  Small.  Who's  a  gwine  to  swar  to  a  lie  fer  an  X  and 
no  whiskey  ?  'Tain't  this  child." 

"  See  to  that  disturbance  immediately,  Mr.  Sheriff,"  said 
the  Judge,  in  a  rage. 

Out  went  the  sheriff,  and  the  Judge  continued  : — 

"  Proceed,  Mr.  Small ;  Mr.  Small.  Where  is  Mr. 
Small?" 

"  Gone  out  to  regulate  a  refractory  witness,  I  should 
think,  your  honor,"  replied  Ormsby. 

"  Yery  extraordinary  affair,"  said  the  Judge  ;  "  and  I 
must  say  Mr.  Small's  conduct  appears  to  be  greatly  want- 
ing of  respect  towards  the  Court.  I  don't  understand 
it." 

Small,  at  this  moment  returned,  and  before  the  Judge 
could  commence  the  intended  rebuke,  addressed  him  hur- 
riedly with — 

"  Please  your  honor,  it  is  a  matter  of  imperative  neces- 


"BLUFFED  OFF."  225 

sity  that  this  case  be  adjourned  until  the  next  term  of 
Court." 

"  And  why,  sir  ?"  asked  the  Court,  very  sharply. 

"  An  all-important  witness, — "  commenced  Small. 

"  Do  you  mean  the  drunken  fellow,  who  has  just 
created  that  disturbance  ?"  interrupted  the  Judge.  "  Who 
is  he?" 

"  His  name  is,"  hesitated  Small,  pretending  to  examine 
some  papers — "  his  name  is — Williams,  I  think,  or  Willis, 
or — really  this  disturbance  has  annoyed  me  so  that  I  have 
forgotten  it  for  the  moment." 

"  Help  him,  Mr.  Sheriff,"  said  the  Judge. 

"  It's  that  Whitly,  who  was  tried  for  cow-stealing  at  the 
last  fall  term  of  the  court,"  replied  the  sheriff. 

"  And  do  you  ask  to  adjourn  this  case  on  his  account, 
sir  ?"  demanded  the  Judge.  "  If  we  wait  for  him  to  be 
sober,  we  shall  have  to  wait  some  time  for  testimony 
not  worth  a  straw.  What  says  the  counsel  for  the 
defence  ?" 

"  That  he  will  not  consent,"  answered  Ormsby. 

"  Then,"  said  the  Judge,  "  the  Court  will  only  adjourn 
this  case  upon  the  prosecution's  paying  up  all  the  costs  that 
have  already  accrued,  and  that,  too,  without  any  future 
claim  upon  the  defence,  however  this  case  may  termi- 
nate." 

"  Why,  your  honor,"  exclaimed  Small,  "  the  costs  amount 
to  over  five  hundred  dollars." 

"  If  they  have  mounted  up  as  high  as  that,  so  much 
the  greater  reason  why  it  should  be  argued  now,"  replied 
the  Judge.  "  Will  you  proceed,  or  pay  the  costs  ?" 

"  I  suppose  we  must  submit,  your  honor,  but—"  com- 
menced Small. 


226  A   GAME   OF   BRAG. 

"  Then  enter  up  the  rule,  Mr.  Clerk,"  said  the  Judge, 
"  and  call  on  the  next  case  ;  too  much  time  has  been 
wasted  in  this  matter." 

As  we  left  the  court-house,  Ormsby  turned  to  me  and 
remarked  : — 

"  A  pretty  well  played  hand  of  brag,  I  call  it." 

In  the  course  of  the  day  Mr.  Roberts  arrived.  He  had 
made  his  escape  from  the  Doctor's  hands,  and  having  heard 
of  the  accident  that  had  befallen  his  counsel,  feared  that 
all  was  up  with  his  cause  ;  but  when  told  of  Orrnsby's 
check-mate,  was  so  delighted  that  he  nearly  shook  our 
hands  off. 

Seated  that  night  in  my  room,  Ormsby,  who  delighted 
in  drawing  the  old  man  out,  and  betraying  him  into  one 
of  his  queer  yarns,  started  him  off  by  remarking,  that 
Small  was  a  capital  hand  to  get  up  a  case,  but  should  never 
be  trusted  to  manage  one  alone ;  for,  said  he,  "  when  he 
gets  his  charge  well  down  and  all  ready,  he  is  sure  to  let 
his  gun  go  off  half-cocked." 

"  It  is  a  mighty  bad  failen  in  a  gun  to  go  off  half-cocked," 
commenced  '  Uncle  Billy,'  "  and  the  chap  that  uses  one  of 
that  sort  is  certain  to  shoot  suthin'  bigger  ner  a  gobbler 
in  the  long  run  ;  but  the  man  that  goes  off  half-cocked  is 
as  shure  as  fallin'  off  a  log  to  shoot  himself,  and  more  ner 
onst,  too.  It's  allers  best,  I  reckon,  to  look  at  a  thing  all 
over  twiste  afore  you  meddle  with  it.  I  knowed  an  old 
doctor  onst,  as  clever  a  soul  as  ever  trotted  pottecary  stuff 
through  a  sick  man,  but  his  har-trigger  war  sot  too  fine, 
and  though  it  war  amost  the  ondly  failin'  he  had,  it  war 
enuff  to  keep  him  in  hot  water  all  the  time.  He  war  pow- 
erful fond  of  his  farm  and  garden,  but,  somehow,  nothin' 
went  well  thar,  he  wer  allers  a  gettin'  some  new  kink  in 


A   GREAT   SHOT.  227 

his  head,  and  afore  he  got  half  through  one  speriment  he'd 
be  a  barkin'  loud  on  some  other  trail.  T  Varnt  at  all  sur- 
prisin'  that  when  he  had  so  many  things  goin'  on  in  his 
field  he  hadn't  any  time  to  see  to  the  fences  around  it. 
The  cattle  tormented  him  powerfully  ;  they  got  used  to 
comin  in,  and  come  they  would. 

"One  of  his  naybors  had  a  par  of  beeves  that  war 
mighty  onruly  to  be  shua,  and  he  consaited  they  war  allers 
the  ring-leaders  in  brcakin'  in.  Arly  one  mornin'  he  got 
up  and  went  out  of  his  cabin,  and  putty  soon  heard  the 
corn  stalks  a  crackin'  ;  but  there  were  a  heavy  fog  on,  and 
he  couldn't  see  ten  foot  ahead,  so  he  started  off  full  split  for 
the  noise,  and  afore  long  sot  eyes  on  suthin'  that  looked 
white  among  the  corn. 

" '  By  Ned/  says  he,  '  if  it  aint  that  owdacious  critter  of 
Miss  Mash's,  a  helpin'  hisself  in  broad  daylight,  septin' 
the  fog ;  that's  putty  chunked ;  coming  it  rather  too  strong, 
I  reckon.  I  said  I'd  pepper  him  the  first  time  I  treed  him 
in  my  field,  and,  by  thunder,  I'll  do  it.'  Back  he  went  to 
the  house  and  took  down  one  of  the  boys'  guns  ;  it  war  the 
old  man's  first  experience  in  firm'  one,  and  if  you  could 
have  seen  him  put  in  a  handful  of  powder  and  shot,  all 
mixed  up,  you'd  have  allowed  it  war  a  dose  of  calomel  and 
epekak  he  war  a  mixin  for  some  misfortunit  critter.  Arter 
he  rammed  it  all  down,  and  put  in  nigh  to  half  a  pound  o' 
cotton  to  keep  all  quiet,  out  he  put,  crawled  up  clus  to 
whar  the  beef  war  a  makin'  his  breakfast,  and  let  fly,  che- 
bang.  For  the  fust  fire  it  war  a  mighty  good  one,  and 
fetched  three  things  to  onst — the  gun  bust,  the  old  man 
drapped  like  he'd  been  shot  hisself,  and  the  biggest  part 
of  him  made  a  hole  in  the  ground  that  they  had  to  fill  up 
arterwards  like  an  old  well,  for  he  weighed!  clean  above 


228  A   GAME   OF   BEAG. 

two  hundred ;  and  naybors  that  lived  too  far  off  to  hear 
the  gun,  felt  the  shock  and  took  it  for  a  juvenile  arthquake 
on  a  mineatewr  plan.  The  beef  swung  backards  and  for- 
ards  a  second  er  two,  just  as  if  he  war  putty  well  corned, 
and  he  war  too  ;  then  down  he  drapped,  gin  a  beller, 
and  keeled  up.  In  a  minit  here  come  the  boys  from  the 
house  a  humpin'  it  and  a  hoopin'. 

" '  By  thunder,'  says  one  on  'ein,  '  ef  dad  hasn't  gone  and 
done  it  now  I'll  be  derned.  I  reckon  Miss  Mash's  beef  has 
got  as  much  of  a  grist  to  grind  as  he'll  want  for  some  time. 
Hollo,  father,  are  you  tired,  er  what  are  ye  squattin'  down 
that  way  fer  ?' 

"  The  old  man  sot  still,  didn't  say  a  word,  ner  try  to 
get  up,  and  ef  he  had  t'would  have  been  of  no  sorter  use. 
"Well,  thar  he  sot  for  ten  minits,  and  all  the  boys  could  do 
they  couldn't  git  a  word  out  ov  him  ;  till  at  last,  by  prizin' 
and  liftin'  they  got  him  on  his  legs  agin,  and  then,  arter 
scratchin'  his  head  awhile,  says  he — 

"  '  John,  which  eend  ov  a  gun  do  you  mostways  use  to 
pint  at  anythin'  when  you  want  to  knock  it  over  ?' 

" '  Why,'  says  John,  '  the  leetle  one  in  course.' 

" '  And  do  you  generally  put  in  the  powder  afore  the 
lead  or  arter  it  ?' 

"  '  Why  afore  it,  to  be  sure.'- 

" '  Well,'  says  the  old  man,  '  then  I'm  satisfied,  for  I  put 
both  together,  and  that  accounts  for  both  eends  goin'  off 
to  onst ;  but  I  allow  Miss  Mash's  beef  has  got  the  tother 
half,  and  you'd  best  go  see.' 

"All  hands  started  off  for  the  beef,  and  thar  he  war 
sure  enough,  made  meat  on,  ondly  twarnt  Miss  Mash's 
beef  arter  all,  but  the  old  doctor's  white-faced  steer. 

"  There  warn't  much  said  about  the  way  he  died,  least- 


A   LITTLE   TOO   SMART.  229 

ways  not  amongst  the  doctor's  people ;  but  as  he  hadn't 
turned  a  furrer  for  their  late  crop,  and  beeves  that  war 
broke  to  the  plough  war  very  scus,  and  corn  mighty  high 
that  year,  thar  war  a  heap  of  weevils  in  the  old  man's 
crib  that  either  starved  or  changed  their  location. 

"  It  larnt  him  suthin'  arter  all,  for  whenever  he'd  bust 
up  and  fly  all  to  pieces  about  nothin'  at  all,  the  old  woman 
would  say,  'that's  right,  father,  don't  you  be  imposed 
on,  just  serve  'em  out  like  you  did  Miss  Mash's  beef ;' 
and  the  old  man  would  cool  down,  and  his  tail  drap 
directly. 

"  Some  folks  hev  got  their  trigger  sot  too  fine  on  one 
thing  and  some  on  another,  some  goes  off  right  ahead,  and 
some  are  on  the  back  ackshun  principle,  some  is  skert  to 
death  about  nothin  at  all.  and  some  gits  as  riley  as  thun- 
der and  raises  thar  tails  directly  when  nobody  didn't  mean 
to  insult  em  ;  and  then  agin  thar's  some  goes  a  rarin'  and 
tarin'  arter  all  the  mad  wild-cat  speckillations  they  can 
git  item  of,  and  generally  comes  out  as  the  man  did  who 
diskivered  the  soap  mine. 

"  Any  body  that's  lived  on  Galveston  Bay  could  tell  you 
who  Dave  Harris  war.  I  reckon  he  wont  disremember 
his  first  surveyin  expedishun  in  a  hurry.  He  war  as  green 
a  man  as  ever  you  see  catched,  but  he  allowed  he  wor  all- 
fired  knowin — one  of  them  '  too  smart'  ones  that's  too 
knowin  to  go  alone.  Dave  wor  a  little  thirsty  Yankee, 
that  looked  jist  'sif  he'd  been  fetched  up  on  codfish  tails,  he 
wor  so  thin  and  dry.  You'd  hev  larfed  ef  you  could  hev 
seen  his  rig  fer  his  fust  expedishun  ;  he  had  more  blankets 
and  riggin  than  would  hev  sarved  out  a  dozen  ;  and  his 
saddle  war  hung  around  with  coffee-pots  and  tin  cups,  till 
it  looked  jist  like  a  tin  peddler's  waggin  a  horseback  ;  and 


230  A   GAME   OF   BRAG. 

as  fer  spurs,  he'd  mounted  the  biggest  par  I  ever  see,  good 
six  inches  across  the  rowell. 

"  The  first  night  we  camped  out  war  on  Clar  Creek, 
whar  he'd  made  his  location.  Our  horses  war  staked  out, 
and  we  war  a  settin  round  the  fire,  on  the  ground,  a  tellen 
big  snake  stories  for  Dave's  edification  ;  when  all  ov  a 
sudden,  up  he  jumpt,  gin  a  most  onarthly  yell,  and  then 
keeled  up. 

"  '  Oh,  Lord !'  says  he.     '  Oh,  Lord ! !    Oh,  Lord ! ! !' 

" '  Why,  what's  the  matter,  Dave  ?'  says  I. 

" '  Oh,  Lord !  I'm  a  dead  man  ;  tear  out  my  hat  linin 
and  give  me  a  chunk  of  coal,  I  want  to  make  my  will 
directly.  Oh,  Lord !  oh,  Lord !  that  I  should  hev  quit 
the  place  whar  I  lived  to  hum  down  East  to  come  here 
and  be  killed  by  a  rattlesnake  /' 

" '  A  rattlesnake,'  ses  I.  '  Hurra,  boys  !  hunt  him  up, 
arter  him,  er  else  some  ov  the  rest  on  us  '1  catch  it.' 

"  Well,  we  stirred  up  the  fire  till  it  gin  a  powerfull 
bright  light,  and  hunted  all  around,  but  couldn't  see  no 
sign  ov  anything  like  a  snake  ;  so  we  gin  up,  and  all 
hands  went  to  see  what  we  could  do  for  Dave. 

"He  said  he  was  bit  whar  he  set  down  on,  and  we 
inspected  putty  close,  but  couldn't  find  nothin  serus,  thar 
wasn't  any  swellin  nor  nothin  ov  that  sort  to  speak  on  ; 
and  finally  he  got  more  docious,  and  gin  in  that  he  war'nt 
a  goin  to  make  a  die  ov  it  that  time,  but  he  swar  it  war  a 
snake  bit  him,  only  he  reckoned  he'd  jumpt  up  so  mighty 
spry  that  the  varmint  hadn't  time  to  get  the  poison  in. 

"  He  came  up  to  the  fire  agin,  and  dropped  on  his  knees 
(which  wer  the  way  he'd  been  a  settin  afore),  then  he  sunk 
down  till  the  biggest  part  ov  him  lit  on  his  heels,  and  the 
minit  it  did,  up  he  jumped  agin  and  yelled  out — 


A  DANGEROUS   PAIR   OF   SPURS.  231 

"'Snake!  snake!!  snake!!!' 

" '  Shut  up,'  says  I,  '  you  dog-on,  no-account  critter,  ef 
you  can't  tell  a  durn  fool  par  ov  spurs,  from  a  rattlesnake, 
ye'd  best  stayed  to  hum  and  sent  your  old  woman  a  land- 
huntinV  "* 

On  the  next  day  Mr.  Roberts  and  I  left  Maiden  for 
Houston,  and  thence  he  proceeded  to  his  plantation  upon 
the  Brazos,  and  I  across  the  prairie  to  Galveston,  meeting 
on  my  journey  with  nothing  of  sufficient  interest  to  record. 

Galveston  and  the  Bay  County  possess,  however,  so 
much  of  historical  interest,  that  although  it  is  not  my 
intention  to  enter  upon  a  topographical  description  of 
Texas,  a  few  pages  may  be  very  properly  devoted  to  them. 

*The  author  is  aware,  that  many  of  his  readers  have  met  with  this  last 
story,  of  "  Uncle  Billy"  before ;  but  it  has  been  re-printed  and  re-written, 
and  twisted  and  turned,  and  made  over,  until  he  can  scarcely  recognise  his 
own  offspring ;  and  has  introduced  it  here  for  the  purpose  of  reclaiming  it 
to  its  home,  anc1  >f  showing  where  that  home  is. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

GALVESTON. 

THIS  city — as  every  one  knows,  or  should  know — is  built 
upon  that  narrow  strip  of  sand  which  separates  Galveston 
Bay  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

You  will  neither  perceive  island  nor  city  until  you  are 
close  upon  them.  The  shore,  low  and  destitute  of  any- 
thing that  may  deserve  the  name  of  a  tree,  presents  no 
prominent  landmarks  to  the  mariner  ;  and  many  a  vessel, 
before  the  city  was  built,  has  sought  in  vain  the  inlet  to 
the  Bay. 

I  have  always  considered  Galveston  as  one  of  the  most 
charming  places — in  appearance — that  I  have  ever  seen. 
The  regular  streets  are  of  dazzling  and  solid  white  sand — 
the  houses  new  and  nearly  all  painted  white — the  dwellings 
built  in  that  easy,  sans-souci  style  peculiar  to  the  French 
and  Spanish  cottage ;  and  all  of  them  surrounded  and 
embowered  with  the  shrubbery  of  the  tropics — the  several 
varieties  of  the  fig,  the  orange,  the  lemon,  the  pomegra- 
nate, and  great  numbers  of  flowering  plants,  that  with  us 
require  the  greatest  care  and  attention,  but  there  grow  to 
a  large  size,  almost  unattended  and  uncared  for — such  as 
the  various  kinds  of  jessamine,  the  tube  rose,  the  oleander, 
<fec.,  <fec. 

The  wharves  present  quite  a  business-like  appearance — 
a  few  foreign  ships — three  or  four  bay  steamers  that  ply 
between  this  port  and  Houston,  the  Brazos  and  the  Trinity 


A   DULL   CITY.  233 

— one  or  two  sea  steamers — the  packets  and  cotton  ships 
from  New  York  and  Boston — and  a  host  of  smaller  craft, 
enjoying  the  beautiful  appellation  of  "  Chicken-thieves," 
that  run  up  and  down  the  Bay,  poking  their  inquisitive 
prows  into  all  the  small  bayous,  and  driving  a  profitable 
trade  in  wood  and  charcoal,  butter,  poultry,  and  eggs. 

To  the  wharves  and  to  the  Strand,  however  (as  the 
street  fronting  upon  the  bay  is  named),  all  business  is  con- 
fined, and  an  air  of  insuperable  dulness  reigns  over  the 
rest  of  the  city.  Not  a  sound  is  heard  except  perchance 
the  bell  of  a  steamer,  or  occasionally  voices  raised  in 
mirth,  or  a  singer  in  the  streets  :  it  would  be  the  place  of 
all  the  world  for  a  second  edition  of  the  "  Seven  Sleepers" 
to  luxuriate  in,  without  the  slightest  danger  of  a  speedy 
awakening. 

Galveston  can  never  be  more  than  a  forwarding  post 
for  Houston  and  the  Brazos.  Fortuitous  circumstances, 
and  the  idea  that  it  must  soon  become  a  place  of  import- 
ance, alone  gave  it  the  position  it  once  occupied,  and  from 
which  it  has  already  sadly  declined. 

A  few  English,  French,  and  German  merchants,  with 
some  capital,  and  heavy  stocks  of  goods,  emigrated  there 
in  the  years  1840,  '41,  and  '42,  expecting  to  supply  the  up- 
country  planters  with  their  necessary  goods,  and  pur- 
chase in  return  their  cotton  for  a  foreign  remittance. 
The  Houston  merchants  soon,  however,  obtained  greatly 
the  advantage  over  them  ;  the  navigation  of  the  Brazos 
and  Trinity  being  so  exceedingly  uncertain  and  dan- 
gerous, that  planters  preferred  transporting  their  crops 
across  the  country  in  wagons  to  the  latter  place,  rather 
than  incur  the  risk  of  loss,  injury,  and  serious  delay  upon 
the  rivers ;  and  when  once  in  Houston,  their  cotton  was 


284  GALVESTON. 

purchased  immediately  at  quite  as  fair  a  price  as  they 
could  expect  to  obtain  for  it  below.  Moreover,  the  men 
of  Houston  being  generally  old  settlers  and  persons  well 
acquainted  with  the  wants  of  the  Southern  trade,  offered 
them  stocks  of  goods,  if  not  so  large,  yet  better  assorted 
and  adapted  to  their  wants  than  those  of  their  rivals  of 
Galveston. 

Nor  was  this  all :  a  planter  must  at  some  time  require 
credit ;  this,  those  who  were  deserving  of  it,  could 
obtain  from  men  to  whom  they  were  personally  known, 
and  who  were  familiar  with  their  affairs  and  circum- 
stances ;  while  on  the  contrary,  all  foreigners  came  to  the 
country  with  the  idea  that  it  was  the  first  object  of  every 
man  with  whom  they  met,  to  cheat  and  defraud  them  if 
they  could. 

The  "  Northers,"  as  the  fierce  north  winds  of  the  coast- 
country  are  called,  offered  another  and  a  very  serious 
impediment  to  the  commerce  of  Galveston. 

The  waters  of  the  Bay  are  little  influenced  by  the  tide, 
but  completely  controlled  by  the  violent  winds.  A  strong 
southeast  wind  forces  the  waves  of  the  gulf  into  the  bay, 
while  a  heavy  and  continued  blow  from  the  north  or  west 
nearly  empties  the  latter  into  the  former,  leaving  the  flats 
bare  and  the  sand  bars  impassable  even  to  the  smallest 
craft. 

It  is  almost  impossible  for  any  planter  to  visit  Gal- 
veston in  winter,  receive  and  dispose  of  his  crop  of 
cotton,  purchase  and  ship  his  goods,  without  being  there 
long  enough  to  encounter  a  "  Norther,"  and  he  then 
has  the  pleasure  of  remaining  at  the  "  Tremont  House," 
or  whatever  hotel  he  may  choose  to  patronize,  at  a 
very  heavy  necessary  expense,  besides  the  extras — gene- 


TEMPORARY   PROSPERITY.  285 

rally  the  more  serious  of  the  two — or  of  being  caught 
in  a  steamer  upon  some  of  the  "  bars" — Red-fish  or  Klop- 
pers  for  instance — then  and  there  to  lie,  wind  and  mud- 
bound,  from  a  day  to  a  week,  as  fate  may  will  it,  upon 
short  commons,  until  a  southeast  wind  may  be  so  minded 
as  to  again  replenish  the  exhausted  bay. 

These  and  other  causes  occasioned  a  rapid  increase 
of  prosperity  in  Houston,  and  a  proportionate  decline 
in  Galveston,  but  not  immediately  ;  for,  strange  to  say, 
that  very  want  of  a  regular  and  legitimate  up-country 
business  produced  temporarily  the  reverse  effect.  The 
heavy  stocks  of  a  foreign  merchandise  were  found  unsale- 
able and  unfitted  for  the  market,  being  refuse  goods  of  all 
descriptions,  purchased  under  the  mistaken  idea  that  any- 
thing would  sell  in  Texas. 

Anxious  to  dispose  of  their  dragging  stocks,  the  owners 
soon  commenced  dabbling  in  lands,  and  exchanging  goods 
at  exorbitant  prices  for  lots  in  or  near  the  city.  Nor 
was  it  long  before  soldiers'  certificates,  headright — as 
the  floating  claims  of  settlers  were  termed — patents,  and 
even  Spanish  titles,  all  found  a  market  here. 

Land  every  one  had  ;  a  crowd  of  speculators  rushed 
in,  strangers  filled  the  hotels,  and  their  money  the 
landlords'  pockets  ;  the  livery  stables,  bar-rooms,  billiard 
rooms,  restaurants — all  came  in  for  a  share  ;  a  much 
larger  amount  of  goods  was  sold  for  money  ;  building 
lots  rose  rapidly  in  value  ;  houses  and  stores  were  erected  ; 
those  already  in  existence  were  purchased  at  an  extrava- 
gant price,  and  for  a  time  everything  bore  an  unreal  and 
inflated  value. 

Affairs  went  on  prosperously  for  a  time,  but  a  reverse 
soon  came. 


236  GALVESTON. 

As  long  as  these  stocks  of  goods  lasted,  and  even  longer  ; 
while  the  merchants  who  had  been  engaged  in  this  busi- 
ness had  credit  to  purchase  others  upon  their  individual 
responsibilities,  or  by  the  hypothecation  of  their  land 
papers ;  all  was  well — but  when  no  merchant  could  be 
found  willing  to  part  with  his  wares,  except  for  such  equi- 
valents as  he  could  again  employ  for  the  purpose  of 
replenishing  his  store,  an  immediate  decline  of  commerce 
ensued. 

Houses  and  lots  decreased  greatly  in  value ;  most  of 
those  who  had  been  transacting  a  really  legitimate  busi- 
ness abandoned  the  place  to  seek  a  better  location,  and 
Galveston  became  what  it  now  is. 

It  is,  in  fact,  looked  upon  something  in  the  light  of  a 
watering  place,  where  one  can  spend  a  few  days  and 
a  few  dollars  pleasantly,  luxuriate  upon  the  fine  oysters 
and  fish  of  the  Bay,  sail,  ride  and  bathe.  To  look  at  the 
town,  you  would  note  it  for  the  very  residence  of  Hygeia  ; 
the  neat  and  beautiful  houses,  the  cleanly  appearance  of 
the  streets  of  hard  white  sand,  the  almost  constant  breezes 
from  the  Gulf  or  Bay,  all  indicate  it. 

Unfortunately  the  reverse  is  the  case.  Galveston  has 
been  severely  and  repeatedly  afflicted  with  the  fatal  epide- 
mics of  the  South. 

There  is  another  great  drawback  to  its  prosperity — the 
danger  of  submersion.  Twice  within  the  recollection  of 
the  author  has  the  portion  of  the  island  upon  which  the 
city  is  built  been  under  water ;  once  entirely,  and  once 
partially. 

The  first  visit  of  Neptune  occurred  in  1838  or  739.  No 
lives  were  lost ;  all  the  inhabitants  took  refuge  in  a  large 
building,  then  used  as  the  Custom  House.  The  second 


A    WELL    WATERED    CITY.  237 

story  was  filled  with  soldiers  and  Mexican  prisoners, 
whose  weight,  probably,  prevented  the  building  being 
washed  away.  The  boards  were  torn  off  from  the  lower 
part  of  the  building,  and  the  waves  had  full  liberty  of 
dashing  through  without  meeting  with  any  opposition  upon 
which  to  wreak  their  vengeance,  except  the  posts  and 
supporters.  All  this  occurred  at  night,  and  the  next  day 
the  waves  retreated  ;  but  dark  and  fearful  must  that  night 
have  been  to  those  "  cabined,  cribbed,  confined"  in  a  slight 
building,  surrounded  with  a  raging  waste  of  waters, 
stunned  by  the  deep-mouthed  roar  of  the  furious  waves, 
and  the  shrill  piping  of  the  northern  blast. 

At  this  time  Galveston  was  but  a  military  post,  of  which 
Col.  Turner  was  the  commandant,  and  he  with  his  wife 
and  family  passed  the  night  in  a  small  open  boat,  anchored 
near  the  Custom  House,  exposed  to  the  violence  of  the 
pitiless  storm. 

The  second  invasion  of  his  Marine  Highness,  occurred 
in  1842.  A  church  built  of  brick  was  blown  down  or 
undermined,  I  know  not  which  ;  houses  upset  and  shat- 
tered ;  vessels  made  experimental  trips  upon  their  own 
accounts,  without  having  obtained  a  regular  clearance 
from  the  Custom  House  ;  some  of  them  became  so  firmly 
attached,  during  their  first  visit  to  the  streets,  that  they 
reluctantly  refused  all  overtures  made  them  afterwards  to 
leave  ;  and  one  or  more  lives  were  lost. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

UP   THE   BAY. 

THE  usual  mode  of  communication  between  Galveston  and 
Houston  is  by  steamboat,  and  there  are  generally  two  run- 
ning between  the  two  places,  thus  making  a  daily  line, — 
the  distance  being  only  about  eighty-five  miles,  and 
achieved  in  from  ten  to  twelve  hours. 

In  winter,  however,  these  trips  are  prolonged  according 
to  the  good  will  and  pleasure  of  the  northers. 

Having  embarked  upon  one  of  these  asthmatic  means  of 
locomotion,  you  will  first  encounter,  in  your  progress  up 
the  Bay,  "  Pelican  Island,"  a  very  narrow  and  very  low 
strip  of  sand,  lying  directly  in  front  of  the  city,  at  a  dis- 
tance of  some  two  or  three  miles  from  it. 

This  island  derives  its  name  from  the  immense  numbers 
of  "  Pelicans"  which  congregate  there.  Nor  are  they  the 
only  aquatic  birds  that  inhabit  the  place,  it  being  a  favor- 
ite rendezvous  for  all  varieties  that  frequent  the  Bay. 

In  the  month  of  May  its  sandy  shores  are  literally 
covered  with  their  eggs,  and  beach  parties  often  resort 
there  for  the  purpose  of  gathering  them.  Rounding  the 
southern  extremity  you  have  a  full  view  of  Galveston  Bay 
— a  narrow  strip  of  timber  skirting  the  shores  of  the  main- 
land far  on  your  left,  making  as  it  were  a  line  of  demark- 
ation  between  the  prairie  and  the  water  ;  and  on  the  right 
the  masts  of  vessels  in  port,  and  one  or  two  buildings, 
more  pretending  than  their  neighbors,  alone  giving  token 


RED-FISH   BAR.  239 

of  the  existence  of  the  city ;  the  island  itself  having 
already  disappeared,  hidden  by  the  miniature  surges  of 
the  Bay. 

Ten  miles  further  on  you  will  arrive  at  "  Red  Fish  Bar/' 
a  formidable  obstacle  to  navigation.  This  is  a  ridge  of 
sand,  in  many  parts  elevated  above  the  water,  and  extend- 
ing entirely  across  the  Bay,  with  the  exception  of  two  or 
three  narrow  passages. 

Having  passed  in  safety  you  then  find  nothing  to  impede 
your  progress  until  you  reach  "  Klopper  Bar,"  some  ten  or 
twelve  miles  further  up,  and  lying  directly  across  at  the 
outlet  of  San  Jacinto  Bay. 

I  have  no  intention  of  making  a  coast  survey  for  the 
reader's  benefit,  and  shall  attempt  no  regular  or  continuous 
description  of  the  country  ;  but  this  section  is  so  much 
spoken  of,  and  has  so  much  of  historic  interest  connected 
with  it,  that  I  have  here  deemed  it  best  to  be  minute  in 
sketching. 

After  passing  Klopper's  Bar  on  your  left,  the  so  called 
San  Jacinto  Bay  opens  full  before  you. 

I  say  "  so  called,"  for  it  is  really  but  the  mouth  of  the 
river  proper,  the  main  channel  of  the  Bay  being  only  from 
a  third  of  a  mile  to  a  mile  in  width,  running  between  and 
winding  among  a  chain  of  islands,  behind  which  are  snugly 
ensconced  sundry  other  small  bays  and  coves,  of  so  little 
depth  of  water,  however,  that  a  "  norther"  renders  them 
impassable  even  for  canoes. 

Ev.ery.  point,  creek,  cove,  bay,  and  island  in  sight  has 
some  story  of  its  own  attached  to  it. 

Immediately  upon  your  left,  after  entering  San  Jacinto 
Bay,  stands  "  New  Washington,"  the  plantation  of  Colonel 


240  UP   THE   BAY. 

Morgan :  the  building  surrounded  and  embowered  by  a 
grove  of  the  orange  and  fig. 

This  spot  was  the  furthest  point — the  ultima  Thule — 
which  any  of  Santa  Anna's  army  attained  in  the  invasion 
of  1836. 

There — in  that  very  house — looking  so  quiet  and 
demure,  as  if  it  were  the  very  spot  of  all  the  world  for 
indolent  repose,  was  the  President  of  the  new  Independent 
States  of  Coahuila  and  Texas,  very  quietly  waiting  the 
progress  of  events,  doubting  whether  or  not  it  might  be 
wise  to  embark  in  a  vessel  which  lay  off"  the  Point,  with 
the  fugitives  on  board,  bound  for  Galveston.  There  he  sat 
hesitating  what  course  to  pursue  in  order  to  preserve  his 
neck  from  too  intimate  an  acquaintance  with  Mexican 
hemp,  when  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  a  party  of  the 
enemy's  horse  dashed  up  the  lane. 

Burnett  and  his  friends  escaped  by  one  gate,  as  the 
adverse  party  entered  the  opposite  ;  they  rushed  down  to 
the  water's  edge,  found  a  boat,  and  embarked  ;  but  ere 
they  had  advanced  a  musket  shot  from  the  shore,  their  foes 
were  upon  their  track. 

At  this  critical  moment,  the  boat  grounded ;  and  had 
the  horsemen  pushed  their  steeds  into  the  water,  the  entire 
party  had  been  captured  ;  but  the  enemy  halted,  and  raised 
their  "  escopetas." 

Among  the  fugitives  was  a  lady,  whose  person,  fortu- 
nately for  his  Excellency,  was  in  proportion  to  the  size  of 
her  heart. 

She  arose,  interposed  her  amplitude  so  as  to  completely 
shelter  and  conceal  the  President,  and,  to  the  honor  of  the 
Mexicans  be  it  said,  they  withheld  their  fire. 


A   BONE   OF   CONTENTION.  241 

Brutal,  murderous,  faithless  as  have  been  all  of  their 
dealings  with  the  Texans,  they  have  respected  woman; 
but  this  was  an  extreme  case,  and  it  might  be  doubted 
whether,  under  similar  circumstances,  many  who  claim  to 
be  more  civilized  and  less  sanguinary  than  the  Mexicans, 
would  have  withheld  their  bullets  from  the  escaping  chief 
of  the  enemy, — denounced  as  a  rebel  and  outlaw,  with  a 
price  put  upon  his  head, — restrained  by  the  fear  of  injuring 
a  woman. 

Let  us  give  the  d — 1  his  due,  and  the  Mexicans  what- 
ever meed  they  may  deserve,  for  it  is  but  seldom  that  we 
have  an  opportunity  to  praise  them. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  bay,  from  New  Washington, 
is  Cedar  Point,  and  upon  it  stands  a  cabin  of  no  very 
remarkable  appearance  or  lofty  pretension,  yet  it  and  the 
land  surrounding  have  long  been  a  bone  of  contention 
between  a  Gothamite  Texan,  and  no  less  a  personage  than 
Sam  Houston. 

The  circumstances  of  the  dispute  were  somewhat  singu- 
lar and  complicated. 

The  league  of  land,  or  rather,  as  the  Mexican  law  and 
deed  term  it,  the  "  sitio"  upon  which  the  said  house  stands, 
was  granted  to  a  person  of  the  name  of  E . 

This  E ,  it  seems,  had  been  married  in  the  old  Texan 

fashion,  which,  being  a  very  odd  mode  indeed,  had  better, 
perhaps,  be  explained  to  the  reader. 

Under  the  Mexican  regime,  the  church  of  Rome— or 
rather,  a  very  corrupted  version  of  it — reigned  paramount ; 
the  priests,  in  fact,  controlling  not  only  church,  but  state  ; 
and  all  marriages  were  declared  illegal  unless  performed 
by  one  of  their  order. 

Unfortunately,  however,  the  Mexican  ministers  of  the 
11 


242  UP   THE   BAY. 

Catholic  church  were  not  of  that  self-denying  class,  who 
willingly  spend  their  lives  among  wild  woods  and  wilder 
men  ;  advancing  the  cause  of  God,  and  assisting  and 
instructing  their  fellow  men.  ' 

On  the  contrary,  they  much  preferred  their  snug  "  haci- 
endas," fat  dinners,  and  rosy  nieces,  to  say  nothing  of  a 
Sunday  game  of  "  Monte'"  with  their  flock,  to  tramping 
about  the  country  with  every  probability  of  picking  up 
more  kicks  from  the  Indians,  than  coppers  from  "  los 
Yankees." 

This  was,  therefore,  a  very  awkward  state  of  affairs, 
which  might  lead  to  troublesome  results  ;  and  something 
had  to  be  done,  for  like  poor  Paddy  in  the  song, 

"  It  might  be  for  years,  and  it  might  be  for  ever," 

ere  the  light  of  a  "  Padre's"  vinous  countenance  would 
illumine  the  out-of-the-way  settlements  ;  so  Mexico  passed 
a  law. 

When  Mexico  and  China  fall  into  a  difficulty,  they  pass 
a  law,  issue  a  "  pronunciamento "  or  proclamation,  and 
voiid  !  the  thing  is  done. 

Texas  has  been  completely  subjugated  several  times  by 
the  one  party,  and  those  belligerent  "  Fankweis,"  the 
"John  Bulls,"  repeatedly  humbled  to  the  dust  by  the 
other,  in  this  very  simple  and  efficient  manner. 

The  law,  however,  passed  in  this  instance,  taking  all 
things  into  consideration,  was  perhaps  the  best  thing  that 
could  have  been  done. 

The  substance  of  it  was,  that  whenever  a  couple  desired 
to  commit  matrimony,  and  themselves,  at  one  and  the 
same  time,  if  no  Padre  was  at  hand  to  unite  the  chain  of 
roses  (which,  by  the  way,  is  a  pretty  metaphor  for  some- 


HOME-MADE  MARRIAGES.  243 

thing  more  enduring  than  steel,  and  sometimes  more  gall- 
ing than  nettles),  then  the  contracting  parties  were 
allowed  to  assemble  their  friends,  and  in  their  pre- 
sence sign  a  bond,  pledging  themselves  mutually  to  submit 
to  a  more  regular  performance  of  the  marriage  rite,  when- 
ever called  upon  so  to  do  by  either  party,  if  a  priest  might 
be  found,  or  to  forfeit  five  hundred  dollars. 

Under  this  strange  law  were  the  marriages  of  the  early 
Texans  performed,  and  very  few  of  the  parties  ever  after 
gave  any  thought  to  the  necessity  of  "  troubling  a  priest," 
until  civilization  coming  hand  in  hand  with  liberty,  the 
Solons  of  the  new  Republic  declared  all  such  marriages 
null  and  void,  unless  completed  according  to  their  amended 
laws,  at  a  certain  time. 

Wives  were  then  valuable  commodities — valuable  on 
account  of  their  scarcity ;  and  very  few  of  these  bonds 
were  forfeited. 

"While  upon  this  subject,  permit  me  to  recommend  to  the 
respective  collections  of  legislative  wisdom  of  Connecticut 
and  Kentucky,  to  give  this  system  a  close  examination, 
and  to  judge  if  it  be  not  preferable  to  their  mode  of  doing 
business. 

Thus  was  E married,  and  some  years  after,  dying 

without  a  will,  he  left  a  son  by  a  former  legitimate  mar- 
riage, and  a  wife  by  the  laws  of  Mexico,  to  dispute  for  the 
possession  of  his  "  sitio"  and  "  labore." 

Ere  any  division  or  settlement  had  been  made,  the  lady 
sold  one  half  of  the  land  to  the  "  old  chief  " — as  Houston 
was  called — and  soon  after  either  sought  some  other  coun- 
try, or  followed  her  husband  into  another  world. 

The  son,  not  to  be  behindhand  with  the  old  lady,  also 
sold  a  half  to  Mr.  Y ,  a  lawyer  in  Galveston. 


244  DP  THE   BAY. 

Both  parties  claimed  the  best  portion,  insisted  loudly 
upon  the  legal  right  of  their  respective  vendors,  and 
both  took  active  measures  in  the  matter. 

Houston,  I  believe,  first  took  possession  of  the  land, 
built  a  log  cabin,  and  resided  there  for  a  time,  leaving  a 
German  to  protect  it  when  he  retired  from  the  field  ;  from 

which  the  tenant  was  soon  ousted  by  Mr.  Y ,  who 

now  in  his  turn  moved  his  family  there. 

Both  being  lawyers,  the  disputants  took  up  the  weapons 
of  their  kind,  to  fight  out  the  battle,  and  at  it  they  went, 
pell-mell. 

It  soon  appeared  that  the  title — if  title  it  was — of  the 
old  chief,  only  covered  the  other  half  of  the  league  in  ques- 
tion ;  and  he  very  gravely  requested  the  court  to  make  a 
regular  exchange,  and  by  some  hitherto  unknown  rule,  grant 
him  the  part  which  he  coveted,  insisting  that  the  papers 
were  drawn  up  erroneously,  and  should  have  conferred  it 
upon  him. 

How  this  decidedly  comical  case  has  terminated,  I  know 
not — but  probably  not  at  all,  as  law.suits  have  no  limits  in 
Texas,  and  the  one  in  question  will  probably  rival  in 
immortality  the  celebrated  case  of  Peebles  vs.  Plain- 
etanes. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

SAN  JACINTO   BAY. 

SAN  JACINTO  BAY  is  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  some 
twelve  miles  in  length,  and  from  one  to  three  in  width. 
Commencing  at  the  junction  of  Buffalo  Bayou  with  the 
San  Jaciuto  River,  and  running  southeast  to  Galveston 
Bay  ;  it  is  studded  with  pleasant  little  islands,  its  waters 
abound  with  fish  equal  to  any  in  the  world,  and  are 
covered  in  the  winter  months  with  an  innumerable  host 
of  aquatic  birds,  from  the  poor,  despised  "  poule  d'eau" 
to  the  epicurean  "  Canvas-back"  and  the  stately  swan. 

Its  shores  present  great  advantages  to  emigrants,  espe- 
cially those  of  smaller  means,  and  without  what  is  termed 
a  large  "  force  "  or  number  of  negroes.  Being  within  a 
short  distance  of  two  of  the  largest  cities,  the  farmers  find 
a  ready  market  for  vegetables,  fruit,  and  wood — all  of 
which,  in  most  other  sections  of  the  country,  are  of  no 
other  use  than  for  home  consumption.  Besides  these,  the 
prairies  afford  an  excellent  winter  and  summer  range  for 
cattle — and  a  well  managed  dairy  might  be  rendered  very 
profitable. 

There  are,  however,  some  drawbacks,  and  rather  serious 
ones.  The  prairies  are  perfectly  level,  not  rolling  as  they 
are  further  north  ;  and  when  more  water  falls  than  the 
earth  can  imbibe,  it  stands  upon  the  surface  until  slowly 
evaporated  by  the  sun.  This  not  only  causes  much  sick- 


246  SAN  JACINTO   BAY. 

ness,  but  unfits  the  ground  for  travelling  sometimes  for 
months. 

Then  the  soil  is  comparatively  poor  and  not  easily 
worked,  besides  which  the  corn  and  cotton  crops  are  more 
uncertain  than  they  are  further  up  the  country. 

On  your  right  hand  as  you  enter  San  Jacinto  from 
Galveston  Bay,  immediately  above  Cedar  Point  is  Cedar 
Bayou,  a  stream,  or  rather  creek,  navigable  some  twelve 
miles  for  vessels  drawing  from  five  to  seven  feet  of 
water.  Here  Lafitte  repaired,  wooded,  and  watered  his 
vessels. 

This  bay  and  the  bayou  were,  as  a  Texan  would  say,  his 
"  stamping  ground."  And  here  he  lay,  like  a  spider  in  his 
den,  awaiting  his  prey.  His  fort  and  collection  of  huts 
were  upon  Galveston  Island,  but  his  vessels,  when  not 
engaged  in  active  service,  were  probably  kept  in  the  inlets 
of  the  bay  ;  and  one  can  find  many  traces  and  marks  of 
the  pirate  camps  upon  their  shores. 

When  any  considerable  booty  had  been  taken,  he 
crowded  sail  for  the  Louisiana  shore,  and  running  up  one 
of  those  outlets  or  bayous  west  of  the  Balize,  found  a 
hearty  welcome,  and  a  ready  market  among  the  planters 
of  the  interior. 

To  return  to  the  Bay.  Two  long  but  narrow  islands  lie 
upon  either  side,  near  the  mouth — Cattle  Island  upon  the 
right,  Spilman's  upon  the  left ;  behind  these  are  two  of 
those  small  bays  of  which  I  have  made  previous  mention — 
Morgan's  and  Goose's  Creek  Bays — the  latter  but  a  small 
affair. 

Passing  these  islands  you  will  find  upon  your  right  a 
small  collection  of  houses,  under  the  title  of  Louisville. 
Here  are  the  shipyards,  and  the  only  ones  in  this  part  of 


PEGGY   ATTACKS   THE  TEXANS.  247 

the  country — the  worms  being  so  destructive  in  the  waters 
of  the  lower  bay,  that  the  "  ways"  are  entirely  destroyed  in 
a  few  months  after  being  laid  in  the  water. 

Behind  the  neck  of  land  upon  which  the  shipyards  are 
located  is  Scott's  Bay — next  above  this,  Bloodgood  Bay — 
and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Channel  are  Perkins's  and 
Brown's  islands. 

Hidden  from  sight  by  the  two  latter  is  a  sheet  of  water 
known  as  Peggy's  Bay — being  so  named  from  a  somewhat 
notorious  personage — Peggy  McCormick — who  owns  or 
did  own,  the  league  of  land  upon  which  the  battle  of  San. 
Jacinto  was  fought. 

Peggy  achieved  immortality  by  her  dauntless  courage, 
not  at,  but  after  the  aforesaid  battle. 

Not  a  whit  cared  she  for  Rusk  or  Houston,  Cos  or 
Santa  Anna — foe  Texan  or  Mexican,  but  the  idea  that 
they  should  have  had  the  audacity  to  fight  a  battle  upon 
her  land,  and  that  too  without  even  saying  "  by  your 
leave,"  was  something  too  aggravating  for  her  Milesian 
blood  to  bear. 

It  would  seem  that  her  excessive  indignation  and  agita- 
tion at  such  unparalleled  impudence  upon  their  part  must 
have  temporarily  overpowered  her,  and  prevented  her 
taking  any  decisive  measures  in  or  on  the  premises  until 
too  late,  or  doubtless,  broomstick  in  hand,  Peggy  had  sal- 
lied forth  and  pegged  away  with  remorseless  violence  at 
both  the  trespassers  upon  her  soil. 

On  the  day  after  the  battle,  however,  she  determined 
that  the  victorious  General  should  feel  the  full  weight 
and  power  of  woman's  first,  best  weapon  of  offensive  or 
defensive  war — her  tongue  ;  and  so,  in  not  the  most  amia- 
ble mood  in  the  world,  presented  herself  before  Houston. 


248  SAN  JACINTO   BAT. 

"Without  obtaining  permission,  inquiring  if  he  were  in,  or 
with  any  in  fact  of  the  customary  preliminaries,  in  she 
marched  boldly,  up  to  the  bed  where  the  General  lay 
— fretful  and  irritated  from  the  effects  of  a  wounded 
leg. 

"  General,"  said  she,  "  take  yer  men  aff  me  legge" 
(league — of  land). 

"  Madam,"  began  the  General,  always  urbane  when  the 
fair  sex  are  concerned,  but  his  speech  was  cut  short  by 
Peggy's  reiterating — 

"  Take  yer  men  aff  me  legge,  I  say." 

"  Indeed,  madam,  the  army  will  move  as  soon  as  possi- 
ble." 

"  But  I  say  take  yer  men  aff  me  legge  immediately." 

At  this  last  volley,  accompanied  by  a  corresponding 
approach  upon  the  part  of  the  assailant,  as  though,  like 
the  old  man  in  the  spelling-book,  who  found  words  and 
grass  ineffectual,  she  was  about  to  commence  the  vi  et 
armis  mode  of  argument,  the  usual  patience  and  urbanity 
of  the  sorely  tried  commander  resigned  its  functions,  and 
poor  Peg  was  hurried  home  under  the  protection  of  a  mili- 
tary escort. 

No  stranger  is  ever  ciceroned  over  the  field  of  battle 
without  hearing  of  her  speech — it  will  be  quoted  in  after 
ages ;  and  all  must  admit  that,  although  her  style  of 
oratory  might  not  have  been  classically  beautiful,  it  was 
certainly  to  the  point. 

On  leaving  Brown's  Island,  the  bay  assumes  the  appear- 
ance of  a  river,  the  width  not  exceeding  a  mile  ;  and  after 
a  detour  of  some  two  or  three  miles  to  the  left,  you  arrive 
at  the  junction  of  the  two  streams. 

Upon  the  right  bank  stands  Lynchburgh,  and  upon  the 


"  PLUNDER."  249 

left  San  Jacinto — two  petty  hamlets,  with  a  few  huts,  dig- 
nified as  houses  and  stores — the  latter  driving  an  insigni- 
ficant trade,  with  whiskey,  tobacco,  and  coffee  for  its 
staples. 

Each  place  also  boasts  now  of  a  saw-mill,  and  had  this 
been  the  case  in  1836,  or  had  the  new  steam  mill  been  in 
operation  upon  the  bayou,  it  is  rather  doubtful  whether 
the  Mexican  army  would  have  camped  so  quietly  in  its 
vicinity. 

The  ignorance  of  the  Mexicans  who  composed  the  army 
of  invasion  was  almost  incredible  ;  everything  that  they 
saw  was  new  to  their  eyes,  and  very  simple  and  every  day 
affairs  to  us,  became  to  them  matters  of  great  wonder  and 
profound  astonishment.  Such  ideas  as  steamboats  and 
saw-mills  had  never  crossed  their  benighted  minds,  and 
thereby  hangs  a  tale. 

As  soon  as  the  invading  army  entered  the  settlements, 
the  privates  commenced  loading  themselves  with  miscella- 
neous and  heterogeneous  plunder  of  every  sort  and  descrip- 
tion. That  they  knew  not  the  uses  of  an  article  was  no  rea- 
son for  letting  it  alone.  As  long  as  it  had  evidently  been 
of  some  value  to  some  one,  off  it  went ;  and  if  too  large  to 
be  transported  by  one,  was  divided.  Unfortunate  spin- 
ning-wheels found  themselves  divorced  for  life  from  all 
their  former  ties  and  connexions ;  shovel  and  tongs  that 
had  kept  company  for  many  years,  parted  to  meet  no  more : 
in  short,  the  entire  army — each  man  with  his  back-loaJ  of 
assorted  plunder — resembled  for  all  the  world  some  huge 
association  of  foot  pedlars,  got  up  on  "  social "  principles, 
for  the  express  purpose  of  victimizing  at  one  fell  swoop 
(or  swop)  all  the  old  women  in  the  country.  That  their  * 
backs  groaned  under  their  unwonted  burdens  made  no 
11* 


250  SAN  JACINTO   BAY. 

difference  to  them,  nor  did  it  prevent  their  making  fresi 
addition  to  their  treasures  every  day. 

Old  booty  was  rejected  for  new,  and  the  road  over 
which  they  passed  presented  something  such  an  appear- 
ance as  the  streets  of  our  city  might  be  supposed  to  exhi- 
bit, if  at  that  precise  moment,  on  some  first  day  of  May, 
when  one  half  the  furniture  and  luggage  of  the  inhabit- 
ants is  in  a  state  of  migration,  an  earthquake  should  sud- 
denly occur,  and  all  the  contents  of  the  various  vehicles 
of  transportation  be  thrown  helter  skelter,  promiscuously, 
and  sown  broadcast  over  the  pavements. 

Fate  so  willed  it,  that  while  Urrea's  division  was  upon 
the  Colorado,  one  of  his  scouting,  plundering  parties,  fell 
in  with  a  saw-mill.  Had  they  discovered  the  longitude 
without  ever  having  heard  of  such  a  thing  before — or  had 
that  very  uncertain  individual,  the  "  Man  in  the  Moon," 
with  dog,  and  bush,  and  lantern — all  his  paraphernalia 
complete — made  his  appearance,  and  invited  them  to  par- 
take of  the  green  cheese  of  which  his  kingdom  is  supposed 
to  be  formed,  they  certainly  could  not  have  been  more 
astonished. 

What  use  in  the  world  this  curious  affair  could  be  put 
to,  they  could  not  imagine  ;  but  ever  treacherous  them- 
selves, they  are  ever  suspicious  of  others  ;  and  after  a  long 
and  warm  consultation  upon  the  subject,  all  pronounced  it 
some  cunning  and  devilish  device  of  the  enemy,  one  not  to 
be  approached  save  with  an"  overwhelming  force.  Had 
they  lived  a  few  years  later,  and  been  sufficiently  fortunate 
to  have  read  Macaulay,  something  like  a  new  "  Eye-House" 
plot,  or  a  "  Guy  Fawkes  "  affair  of  that  kind,  would  have 
probably  suggested  itself  to  their  vivid  and  fear-excited 
imaginations. 


THE  MILL  GOES   OFF.  251 

Be  this  as  it  may,  off  they  started  to  procure  assistance. 
This  being  obtained,  the  dubious  and  dangerous  affair  was 
regularly  invested ;  and  when,  after  a  slow  and  gradual 
approach  on  all  sides,  they  found  that  it  did  not  go  off, 
their  valor,  cupidity,  and  curiosity  combined,  so  got  the 
better  of  their  discretion,  that  a  general  rush  was  made 
at  the  building. 

Here  was  something  new,  surprising,  and  unheard  of. 
What  could  be  the  use  of  all  that  complicated  and  curious 
collection  of  wheels  and  levers  ?  What  did  that  enormous 
saw  and  log-carriage  mean,  unless  indeed  this  was  some 
newly  invented  satanic  device  and  horrible  machine  of  los 
diablos  los  Yankese,  to  shoot  off  that  pile  of  huge  logs,  as  so 
many  gigantic  arrows,  at  the  invincible  and  glorious  army 
of  invasion  ? 

One  sentiment,  however,  prevailed — that  of  regret,  of 
deep,  unfeigned  regret,  that  the  whole  affair  could  not  be 
carried  off  bodily  as  it  was  ;  and  to  remedy  this  as  well  as 
they  might,  they  laid  their  heads  together  to  concoct  plans, 
and  devise  ways  and  means,  to  detach  the  more  portable 
parts  of  the  vast  machine,  and  to  pack  them  off. 

Some  went  to  work  upon  the  wheels,  .some  upon  the 
saw,  and  all  were  making  themselves  busy  and  useful, 
doing,  or  trying  to  do  something,  when  an  unfortunate 
wretch,  whose  day  of  birth  must  surely  have  been  marked 
with  a  black  stone,  seized  upon  the  lever  of  the  saw-gate 
as  his  share  of  the  plunder,  pulled  it  down,  and  off  she 
went,  with  more  than  an  extra  head  on. 

Language  fails  to  describe  the  result ;  and  the  reader 
must  imagine  if  he  can  the  precipitate  retreat  of  the  valor- 
ous foe.  Some  mounted  their  horses,  many  had  no  time  to 
spare  even  for  that,  and  not  a  hero  turned  head,  or  drew 


252  SAN  JACINTO   BAY. 

rein,  until  within  sight  of  camp,  and  when  the  ceaseless 
and  horrid  din  of  the  overtasked  mill  had  faded  away  in 
the  distance. 

Had  Mrs.  Lot  been  one  half  as  wise,  she  never  would 
have  been  changed  into  a  moral  pillory,  or  remained  above 
ground  long  enough  to  have  been  chipped  in  bits  by  the 
"  Dead  Sea"  gentry,  and  brought  home  by  them  to  give  an 
antique  flavor  to  their  Expedition. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  SAN  JACINTO. 

No  gorgeous  banners  we  unfold, 

Of  crimson  silk,  and  yellow  gold  ; 

No  waving  plumes,  nor  helmets  bright, 

Nor  chargers  prancing  for  the  fight ; 

Bat  men  as  true,  and  hearts  as  bold, 

As  e'er  a  life  for  freedom  sold, 

At  Leuctra,  or  Thermopyls, 

We  bring  into  the  field  to-day, 

To  chase  the  weir  wolf  from  his  lair, 

Or  failing,  sleep  for  ever  there. 

BUFFALO  BAYOU  makes  nearly  a  right  angle  with  the  San 
Jacinto.  The  prairie  upon  which  the  battle  was  fought  is 
almost  level,  elevated  some  thirty  feet  above  the  bayou  and 
bay,  and  bounded  upon  two  sides  by  a  "  marais"  or  marsh. 
The  few  huts  which  compose  the  petty  village  of  San 
Jacinto,  stand  exactly  at  the  angle  of  junction.  Leaving 
these,  and  turning  to  your  left,  after  a  march  of  perhaps  a 
mile  upon  the  low  ground  on  the  margin  of  the  bayou,  you 
turn  again  to  the  left,  and  ascending  a  gentle  hill,  are  upon 
the  battle  ground.  At  the  summit  of  the  hill  is  a  beautiful 
grove,  or,  in  Texan  parlance,  "  island  of  timber,"  upon  the 
outer  edge  of  which,  in  unpretending  graves  encircled  by 
common  paling,  the  heroes  that  fell  upon  the  field  sleep 
their  last  sleep. 

This  first  "island"  was  the  spot  where  the  Texans 
pitched  their  camp.  In  and  around  another  island  upon 
your  left,  distant  not  more  than  half  a  mile,  did  the  first 


254          THE  BATTLE  OF  SAN  JACIXTO. 

severe  fighting  and  skirmishing  occur.  Here  fell  nearly 
all  the  Americans  whose  lives  were  lost  in  the  engage- 
ment. Directly  in  front  of  you,  and  in  a  line  with  the  first 
island,  stands  yet  another,  at  the  distance  of  a  mile,  while 
you  will  see  a  fourth,  larger  than  the  others,  in  a  line  with, 
and  opposite  to  the  second,  its  right  resting  upon  the 
extreme  verge  of  the  high  ground,  and  overlooking  the 
marsh  and  bay.  Here  lay  Santa  Anna's  army  ;  in  front 
of  this,  and  between  it  and  the  smaller  grove  upon  its  left, 
was  the  battle  fought.  The  prairie  here  is  slightly  rolling, 
descending  within  half  way  between  the  two  camps,  and 
then  again  rising.  Thus  the  camps  were  upon  a  level, 
with  a  piece  of  lower  ground  between  them,  which  circum- 
stance, one  might  suppose,  would  have  given  a  decided 
advantage  to  the  party  attacked ;  but  thanks  to  Mexican 
management  and  Mexican  gunnery,  the  reverse  was  the 
case.  You  will  perceive  the  field  is  a  parallelogram, 
bounding  it  on  two  sides  by  lines  drawn  from  island  to 
island,  and  the  shores  of  the  Bayou  and  Bay  completing 
the  figure.  It  is  a  rich  piece  of  land,  covered  during  nine 
months  of  the  year  with  a  fine  crop  of  grass,  and  spangled 
with  innumerable  flowers  of  all  hues  and  forms.  The 
ground  is  hard,  smooth,  and  would  be  an  admirable  place 
for  a  review. 

The  whole  country,  at  the  time  of  which  I  speak,  was 
frantic  with  excitement  and  alarm. 

Some  seized  the  first  horse  that  they  could  find,  and 
unprepared,  save  with  their  rifles  and  a  day's  provisions, 
rushed  to  the  army,  with  no  thought  save  of  revenge  for 
the  cold-blooded  murder  of  a  father,  brother,  son,  or  friend, 
by  their  dastardly  and  treacherous  foe.  Others  again 
made  post-haste  for  the  Sabine,  taking  their  families  with 


BUSK,   IN   THE   FIELD.  255 

them,  but  without  caring  for  anything  else,  leaving  stock 
of  cattle,  plantation,  houses,  and  such  furniture  as  they 
possessed  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  enemy,  or  the  first 
gang  of  robbers  that  might  chance  that  way.  To  use  a 
very  meaning  western  expression,  it  was  a  perfect  "  stam- 
pede." 

When  the  disastrous  news  of  the  fall  of  the  Alamo,  and 
massacre  of  Fanning's  command  near  Goliad,  reached  the 
army,  they  were  lying  upon  the  Brazos,  and  it  is  said  that 
many  of  them  also  shared  the  general  alarm.  Houston 
was  in  command,  and  what  his  intentions  were  it  would 
now  be  very  difficult  indeed  to  ascertain  ;  but  from  the 
statements  of  the  officers  with  him  at  that  time,  it  would 
appear  to  have  been  his  design  to  have  retreated  into  the 
Red  Lands,  then  and  now  the  most  densely  populated  part 
of  Texas,  and  thus  to  force  the  settlers  to  recruit  his  army, 
by  bringing  the  war  to  their  very  doors. 

Whether  even  this  plan  would  have  succeeded  is  very 
doubtful,  as  the  three  divisions  of  the  invading  army 
would  have  joined  forces  ere  they  had  attempted  to  over- 
run this  section. 

At  this  critical  period,  when  the  heads  of  the  govern- 
ment beat  a  very  undignified  retreat  from  Harrisburgh, 
upon  the  "  sauve  qui  peut"  principle,  General  Rusk,  the 
Secretary  of  War, — to  whose  determination  and  courage 
Texas  owes  everything — alone  hastened  to  the  army. 
An  immediate  change  took  place  for  the  better  ;  his  pre- 
sence did  much,'  his  actions  more  ;  not  appearing  himself  to 
command,  his  orders  were  promulgated  through  the  regu- 
lar channels,  and  prompt  and  decisive  they  were.  Scout- 
ing parties  scattered  along  the  banks  of  the  Brazos  were 
called  in,  the  small  army  concentrated  and  prepared  for 


256.          THE  BATTLE  OF  SAN  JACINTO. 

the  conflict,  and  the  route  ordered,  the  moment  his  hurried 
preparations  were  completed. 

Santa  Anna's  division  crossed  the  Brazos  on  the  llth  of 
April,  marched  through  Harrisburgh,  which  they  burned, 
and  then  took  the  road  on  the  right  of  Buffalo  Bayou  to 
New  Washington. 

On  the  16th,  the  Texan  army  took  up  the  line  of  march  ; 
and  on  the  19th  crossed  the  bayou,  taking  the  road  on  the 
left  of  the  stream.  They  were  thus  nearly  upon  the  track 
of  their  foe,  but  chose  the  other  side,  perhaps  because  it 
afforded  shelter  and  concealment,  perhaps  because  it  might 
offer  an  opportunity  to  retreat. 

A  short  distance  from  the  crossing,  the  road  forks  ;  one 
trail  leading  to  the  Atascasete  ford  of  the  San  Jacinto, 
and  thence  to  Nacogdoches  ;  the  other  to  Lynchburgh.  At 
the  junction,  the  guides  paused,  having  as  yet  received  no 
orders  as  to  their  future  course. 

At  length  the  order  was  given,  and  the  army  marched 
down  the  bayou  road. 

It  would  appear  to  have  been,  even  at  that  late  hour,  a 
matter  of  great  doubt  whether  the  battle  was  to  be  fought, 
or  a  hurried  retreat  made.  The  fate  of  Texas  at  that 
moment  hung  trembling  in  the  scale. 

Houston's  reply  to  those  whom  he  met,  and  who  eagerly 
inquired  the  destination  of  the  troops,  was,  as  I  have  been 
informed  by  officers  who  were  with  him  on  that  day,  that 
he  was  "  going  down  to  fight  the  Mexicans,  but  against  his 
will  and  advice,  and  that  he  was  not  responsible  for  the 
consequences."  Be  this  as  it  may,  the  army  pressed  for- 
ward and  encamped  that  night  near  the  bank  of  the  bayou, 
and  not  far  from  Lynchburgh. 

The  transit  of  the  little  army  was  effected  with  safety 


SHERMAN'S  SKIRMISH.  257 

and  rapidity  early  the  next  morning,  and  they  had  just 
"  camped"  in  the  previously-mentioned  grove,  when  the 
Mexican  bugles  sounding  upon  the  prairie,  announcing  the 
advance  of  Santa  Anna,  summoned  them  to  arms.  A  few 
shots  were  exchanged  without  serious  effect;  the  enemy 
fell  back  and  encamped  also.  In  the  afternoon  Col.  Sher- 
man, with  his  small  corps  of  cavalry,  was  despatched  to 
reconnoitre,  and  in  so  doing,  drew  out  the  entire  mounted 
force  of  the  Mexicans  upon  his  handful  of  men,  who 
retreated  to  the  small  "  island"  nearer  the  Texan  camp. 
Why  he  was  not  supported  by  Houston  is  an  enigma  that 
none  but  Houston  can  solve  ;  but  from  whatever  motives 
he  acted,  he  left  them  to  their  fate. 

With  desperate  courage  Sherman  finally  rallied  his  men, 
and  cut  his  way  through  to  the  camp,  with  the  loss  of  five 
or  six  killed,  and  several  wounded. 

The  Texan  army  now  consisted  of  some  seven  hundred 
and  twenty  men,  and  a  very  heterogeneous  collection  it 
was.  A  few  artillery-men  under  the  gallant  veteran, 
Colonel  Neil,  a  part  of  a  regiment  of  infantry  commanded 
by  Colonel  Millard,  a  squad  of  men  from  Tonnehoe,  skilled 
in  backwoods  warfare,  the  use  of  rifle  and  bowie  knife,  a 
few  Mexicans  also  battling  for  independence,  under  Col. 
Seguin,  a  company  under  Capt.  Baker,  that  had  nobly 
acquitted  themselves  in  baffling  the  entire  Mexican  force 
upon  the  banks  of  the  Brazos  (with  but  thirty  men),  and 
that  duty  done,  hastened  to  rejoin  the  army  ;  a  company  of 
volunteers  from  Alabama,  under  Col,  Turner,  &c.,  &c. 
Santa  Anna  had  brought  into  the  field  an  army  variously 
estimated  at  from  thirteen  to  sixteen  hundred,  and  these 
were  further  augmented  by  the  command  of  General  Cos, 


258          THE  BATTLE  OP  SAN  JACINTO. 

who  arrived  on  the  morning  of  the  21st  with  nearly  six 
hundred  fresh  troops. 

Captain  Wharton  with  a  squad  of  men  had  been  sent 
early  on  the  morning  of  the  21st  to  see  that  the  bridges 
were  in  order  and  boats  in  readiness  in  case  a  retreat  was 
necessary,  but  determined  upon  a  desperate  conflict,  in 
direct  opposition  to  his  orders,  he  destroyed  both  bridges 
and  boats.  There  was  no  alternative,  it  was  really  liberty 
or  death,  and  preparations  were  made  for  the  approaching 
conflict.  The  army  was  drawn  up  so  as  to  present  as 
much  face  as  possible,  to  prevent  their  being  outflanked  by 
the  enemy.  The  conflict  was  commenced  by  Neil's  artil- 
lery, and  the  Texans  at  "  double  quick"  marched  on  the 
foe.  The  Mexicans  had  drawn  up  in  front  as  a  breast- 
work, a  number  of  trees  with  their  branches  lopped  ;  these 
were  covered  with  pack-saddles,  blankets,  <fec.,  so  as  to 
render  them  an  almost  insurmountable  obstacle,  and  one 
fatal  to  an  attacking  party.  Mexicans  have  one  great 
peculiarity,  they  are  in  idea  at  least,  altogether  too  brave, 
and  it  is  a  great  pity  that  their  physical  cannot  keep  pace 
with  their  moral  courage.  Santa  Anna  affected  to  despise 
his  opponents,  and  not  content  with  quietly  awaiting  an 
attack,  which  the  situation  of  the  ground,  slightly  ascending 
towards  his  line,  and  the  admirable  defence  I  have  just 
mentioned,  would,  with  any  ordinary  degree  of  prudence 
and  courage  on  the  part  of  the  defendants,  have  resulted 
in  their  favor  ;  must  needs  make  a  display  of  his  extra  cou- 
rage and  gallantry,  by  drawing  up  his  best  and  most  reli- 
able corps,  the  Guerrera  battalion,  in  front  of  the  works, 
to  receive  the  enemy  with  the  honors  of  war. 

The  Texans  came  on  two  deep — deployed,  as  I  have 


SAUVE  QUI   PEUT.  259 

before  said,  to  prevent  their  being  outflanked,  and  also  to 
give  an  opportunity  for  every  man  in  their  scanty  ranks 
to  add  to  the  effect  of  the  first  fire.  Three  volleys  from 
the  Mexicans  passed  harmless  over  their  heads, — and  now 
came  their  turn. 

At  a  distance  of  sixty  yards  every  musket  and  rifle  was 
presented,  each  covering  his  adversary.  A  line  of  fire  ran 
along  the  ranks,  and  down  fell  at  least  a  hundred  of  the 
enemy. 

As  for  the  valiant  troops  in  advance  of  their  proper 
position,  they  very  early  in  the  engagement  evinced  a 
strong  and  marked  desire  to  shift  their  quarters  ;  and  the 
first  volley  from  the  Texans  throwing  them  into  utter  con- 
fusion, their  officers  undertook  to  march  them  round  the 
breastwork,  when,  just  as  they  wheeled,  a  second  volley — 
as  a  Texan  remarked  to  me  in  speaking  of  the  affair — did 
the  business  for  them  ;  and  not  having  time  to  go  round 
the  breastwork,  they  made  a  desperate  effort  to  dash 
over  it. 

In  an  instant  their  foes  were  upon  them,  and  all 
attempts  at  defence  ceased,  with  the  solitary  exception  of 
Col.  Almonte,  who  alone  of  all  the  officers  endeavored  to 
rally  his  men,  and  partially  succeeding,  although  but  for  a 
moment,  his  men  running  again  at  the  first  fire, — he 
remained  upon  the  spot  where  they  had  deserted  him, 
refusing  to  fly. 

The  cavalry,  who  had  not  participated  in  the  action,  but 
were  at  that  particular  time  making  themselves  generally 
useful  about  the  camp  fires,  did  not  wait  for  the  bugle,  but 
each  man  seizing  the  first  horse  that  came  to  hand,  not 
stopping  for  the  usual  formalities  of  saddle  and  bridle, 
went  off  pell-mell  over  the  prairie. 


260          THE  BATTLE  OF  SAN  JACINTO. 

As  far  as  the  "  Napoleon  of  the  West"  is  concerned,  it 
is  highly  probable  that  had  a  cup  been  offered  to  the  victor 
in  the  race,  he  would  have  won  the  prize.  The  Texan 
battle-cry  had  been  "  Remember  the  Alamo,"  and  the  poor 
wretches  now  suing  for  quarter,  were  shouting  in  frantic 
tones  all  over  the  field  "  Me  no  Alamo." 

As  soon  as  it  was  possible  the  massacre  was  checked, 
but  not  until  over  seven  hundred  of  the  Mexicans  had 
fallen. 

That  afternoon  and  the  next  day  the  victorious  party 
scoured  the  prairie  and  woods  in  the  hope  of  finding  the 
swift-footed  general  and  his  officers.  Cos  first  made  his 
appearance  ;  and  expecting  nothing  but  immediate  death, 
as  soon  as  he  was  brought  into  camp  he  threw  himself 
upon  the  ground  covered  with  a  blanket.  Santa  Anna 
was  found  the  next  day  in  the  dress  of  a  common  soldier, 
crouching  in  the  grass,  but  on  being  brought  in  was  imme- 
diately recognised  by  the  men,  who  raised  the  cry  of 
"Santa  Anna,"  "El  Presidente."  When  found  he  was 
making  his  way  into  the  "  timber"  of  Yince's  bayou.  The 
prisoners,  800  in  number,  were  at  first  sent  to  Galveston, 
and  afterwards  divided  out  among  the  planters  for  a 
time. 

In  1842  permission  was  given  them  to  return  to  Mexico, 
and  Santa  Anna  issued  a  proclamation  inviting  them  to 
return  to  the  arms  of  their  countrymen  ;  but  having  had  a 
taste  both  of  liberty,  and  the  spurious  article  of  Mexican 
manufacture,  they  very  coolly  replied  to  his  flourish  of 
trumpets  with  a  card  informing  the  gentleman  that  "  they 
would  see  him  hanged  first" — and  in  about  as  many  words 
too.  Poor  Santa  Anna,  who  but  a  short  time  before  had 
threatened  to  carry  his  victorious  standard  over  the 


THE   BLOW  FOB   FEEEDOM.  261 

Sabine,  and  plant  it  in  Washington,  now  assumed  a  tone 
in  keeping  with  his  fallen  fortune,  and  all  have  heard  how 
with  soft  words  he  influenced  his  captor's  heart,  although 
many  think  a  harder  currency  passed  between  them. 

The  battle  itself  was  nothing  ;  it  was  in  fact  a  massacre, 
not  to  be  compared  with  the  battle  of  the  Horse  Shoe, 
near  the  mission  "  Conception,"  of  which  not  one  in  a  hun- 
dred at  the  North  has  even  heard ;  not  to  be  mentioned 
with  the  assault  of  San  Antonio,  the  defence  of  the  Alamo, 
or  even  in  latter  times,  Jourdan's  desperate  fight  and 
retreat,  the  battle  of  Mier,  or  the  engagement  at  Lipantit- 
lan,  if  you  regard  disparity  of  force,  duration  of  combat, 
or  the  desperate  circumstances  of  the  Texans. 

The. peculiar  time,  the  events  which  heralded  it,  and  the 
wonderful  results,  have  given  it  notoriety.  In  describing 
it  there  is  but  little  to  say  ;  it  was  the  affair  of  a  moment. 
Like  the  lightning  of  the  heaven,  instantaneous  in  its 
action  but  fearful  and  lasting  in  its  effects,  as  the  stroke 
ef  the  omnipotent  wand  of  the  Hebrew  Seer  ;  it  was  but  a 
blow,  yet  the  rock  of  Tyranny  was  rent  in  twain,  and  the 
pure,  fresh,  and  invigorating  waters  of  Liberty  welled 
forth  in  an  exhaustless  stream  to  fertilize  the  thirsting 
land. 

The  Mexicans  were  not  prepared  to  expect  further 
resistance,  and  probably  did  not  know  three  hours  before 
they  reached  the  field,  that  Houston  was  already  there. 
They  had  imagined  the  war  concluded — the  people  flying, 
frantic  with  fright  before  them,  without  the  least  idea  of 
again  offering  an  armed  opposition  to  the  soi-disant  Napo- 
leon of  the  West. 

Tanning's  small  army  had  been  slaughtered — Travis 
with  his  handful  of  men  crushed  and  butchered  by  a  force 


262          THE  BATTLE  OF  SAN  JACINTO. 

twenty-five  times  their  own  numbers  ;  and  it  is  no  wondei 
that  alarm  and  panic  should  seize  the  murderers  to  find' 
themselves  suddenly  confronted  with  something  near  an 
equal  number  of  men,  with  whom  they  had  dealt  before 
and  almost  learned  to  consider  incarnate  devils,  not 
common  everyday  flesh  and  blood — men  who  knew  their 
only  hope  lay  in  a  victory,  and  who  would  fight  on  until 
the  last  soldier  should  pour  his  life-blood  upon  the  fated 
plain — men  forced  by  indignities  and  cold-blooded  treach- 
ery, maddened  with  a  demoniac  spirit  of  revenge  for 
friends  butchered  and  homes  desecrated — nerved  to  battle 
to  the  last,  by  the  knowledge  that  with  them  fell' the  last 
hope  of  liberty — their  fathers  and  mothers,  their  wives 
and  daughters  left  a  prey  to  the  cowardly  and  inexo- 
rable tyrant. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  the  arrival  of  Cos  improved  mat- 
ters in  the  least — their  numbers  were  increased  it  is  true, 
but  the  increase  brought  with  it  at  the  same  time  a  train 
of  officers,  many  of  whom  had  met  the  Texans"  before,  and 
one  of  them  at  least, — the  general — had  no  stomach  since 
the  stormy  affair  of  "  San  Antonio"  to  fight  them  with 
any  odds. 

Cos  was  the  brother-in-law  of  Santa  Anna,  but  a  feeling 
of  bitter  enmity  sprang  up  between  them  after  his  dis- 
graceful surrender  of  Bexar — yielding  a  strongly  forti- 
fied town  to  a  force  of  less  than  one-sixth  his  own 
number. 

When  reproached  by  the  President  for  his  gross  cow- 
ardice, he  replied  : — "  Sir,  you  little  know  the  men  with 
whom  you  are  now  contending ;  by  treachery  or  an 
immense  superiority  in  numbers,  you  may  succeed  in 
crushing  a  few,  but  mark  my  word,  if  ever  you  meet  them 


COS,   AND   SANTA   ANNA.  263 

in  the  open  field,  without  your  force  more  than  quadruples 
them,  you  will  be  defeated,  and  that,  too,  at  a  blow." 

So  great  was  his  hatred  of  the  commander-in-chief,  that 
not  for  two  hours  after  his  arrival  did  he  report  himself 
at  head-quarters,  and  it  was  only  after  he  heard  the  open- 
ing cannonade  that  he  did  so. 

Upon  his  announcing  his  presence  and  that  of  his  corps, 
Santa  Anna,  with  a  cold  sneer,  inquired,  "  Well,  sir,  and 
where  is  my  command  ?" 

"  Dios  1"  exclaimed  Cos,  in  absolute  exultation,  "  you 
have  no  command — you  are  annihilated  in  five  minutes." 

Having  safely  fought  the  Battle  of  San  Jacinto,  let  us 
return  peaceably  to  the  Bay  Country  and  Col.  Ting's 
Plantation,  where  I  will  introduce  to  my  readers  a  queer 
customer,  who  made  his  appearance  on  the  prairie  during 
the  early  part  of  the  summer. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

ANOTHER  "STRAY  YANKEE  IN  TEXAS." 

PIPE  in  mouth  and  book  in  hand,  one  afternoon  I  lay 
stretched  in  luxurious  ease  upon  the  floor  of  the  cozy 
piazza  of  a  Texan  cottage. 

The  dreamy  god,  far  from  coy,  and  requiring  but  little 
wooing,  was  fast  stealing  upon  my  senses,  drawing  the 
mantle  of  oblivion  over  them  ;  and  no  wonder.  Upon  iny 
moist  brow  the  soothing  sea-breeze  gently  breathed  from 
off  a  beautiful  prairie,  an  oasis — a  perfect  bijou  of  a  thing 
— enamelled  and  bedight  with  flowers  of  all  forms  and 
colors,  and  their  hues  mingling  to  my  half-closed  eyes, 
made  the  tout  ensemble  before  them  look  for  all  the  world 
like  a  vast  assemblage  of  Joseph's  coats  bleaching  upon 
the  rich  grass,  or  a  second  and  enlarged  edition  of  the 
gaudy  Spanish  blanket  upon  which  I  lay  my  lazy  length 
along. 

The  hands  of  the  clock,  had  there  been  such  an  article 
about  the  premises — which,  as  the  prairie  was  yet  unin- 
vaded  by  Yankee  pedlars,  there  was  not — would  have  been 
upon  the  hour  of  one,  and  the  "  sonans  as  "  doubtless  had 
told  the  same  tale,  but  the  shadow  of  a  pillar  arriving  at 
a  certain  mark  upon  a  graduated  scale  inscribed  on,  and 
cut  in  the  porch  floor,  answered  every  whit  as  well. 

The  day  was  one  of  the  kalends  of  July,  and  a  person 
acquainted  with  the  semi-tropical  summers  of  Texas,  must 


DOLCE   FAR   NffiNTE.  265 

know  that  this  combination  of  annual  and  horological 
time  necessarily  superinduces  an  universal  drowsiness. 
All  nature,  in  fact,  seemed  asleep.  The  monster  grass- 
hopper of  the  country  had  ceased  his  shrill  Italian  note, 
the  corn-cracke  was  mute,  the  tree-toad  emulated  their 
silence,  the  goats,  that,  browsing  about  the  inclosure,  usu- 
ally filled  the  air  with  anything  but  melody,  were  quietly 
snoozing  under  the  shade  of  the  gin-house — no  relation  to 
gin-palace,  but  simply  a  building  like  a  cider-mill,  with  an 
upper  story,  and  used  to  gin,  i.  e.  extract  the  seed  from 
cotton — or  beneath  the  projecting  and  protecting  limbs  of 
some  large  oak  : — 

"  Recubans  sub  tegmine  fagi." 

Happy  am  1  to  have  the  opportunity  to  so  aptly  quote  the 
above  line,  as  it  is  the  only  one  of  the  entire  Eclogues  im- 
pressed upon  my  memory,  though  not  exactly  in  the  usual 
method  ;  for  the  impression  was  not  imparted  through  the 
head,  but  quite  the  reverse, — the  fact  of  the  matter  being  £ 
that  a  peculiar  dislike  to  the  use  of  an  able  but  uninterestr 
ing  work  of  Mr.  Ainsworth's,  and  a  too  great  reliance  upon 
my  own  philological  attainments,  frequently  induced  me  to 
render  certain  passages  and  words  "  con  amore"  perhaps, 
but  not* "  secundum  artem."  So  it  fell  out,  upon  a  dies 
injeHa,  that  I  translated  fagi  as  fig  tree,  and  received  as 
testimonial,  from  an  unappreciative  pedagogue,  the  appli- 
cation of  sundry  twigs  of  another  tree — known  to  the 
learned  as  the  "  betula  " — upon  a  portion  of  my  corporeal 
system,  whose  name  bears  a  striking  similitude  to  the  cor- 
rect rendering  of  the  obnoxious  word. 

After  all,  I  was  quite  as  near  the  mark  as  the  poet,  who 
thus  gives  the  passage  : — 

12 


266  ANOTHER   "  STRAY   YANKEE   IN   TEXAS." 

"  O  Tityrus,  reclining  'neath  the  shade, 
By  an  umbrageous  windmill  swift  revolving  made." 


As  I  was  saying — prior  to  my  striking  the  trail  which 
led  to  the  foregoing  episode — my  senses  were  just  totter- 
ing upon  the  narrow  confines  that  divide  reverie  from  the 
Land  of  Nod,  when  a  heavy  step  near  me  recalled  my  fast- 
departing  wits,  and  a  voice  in  the  once-familiar  but  long- 
forgotten  tones  of  my  father-land,  smote  my  ear. 

"  Hello,  Mister !  how  de  du  ?  Bin  well  ?  Plaguy  hot 
day  ;  Curnil  tu  hum  ?  You  ain't  him  ?  No  ?  Jest  what 
I  was  thinking  on !  Folks  all  smart  ?  Guess  I'll  set  down  ; 
cheap  settin's  standing." 

At  the  opening  of  this  extraordinary  volley  I  had 
jumped  up,  and  saw  before  me  a  truly  surprising  figure  for 
a  new  country. 

The  owner  of  the  voice  was  a  ponderous  individual,  tho 
roseate  hue  of  whose  face  was  rendered  ruddier  yet  from 
the  reflected  tint  of  a  huge  and  flaming  red  bandanna, 
with  which  the  owner  was  endeavoring  to  check  the  per- 
spiration which  was  not  dropping,  but  fairly  streaming 
down  his  hemispherical  cheeks.  A  black  silk  hat,  with 
narrow  brim,  adorned  his  head,  and  despite  the  great  heat 
of  the  day,  he  wore  a  heavy,  new,  and  shining  black  over- 
coat, black  frock  coat,  black  satin  vest,  and  black  woollen 
pants,  the  latter  rolled  up,  displaying  the  white  cotton  lin- 
ing, instead  of  being,  "  more  Texano"  tucked  in  his  pon- 
derous "  pot  metal "  boots.  The  arm  that  wielded  the 
bandanna  was  poked  through  the  handle  of  a  plethoric 
carpet-bag,  and  the  other  sustained  by  the  means  of  a  huge 
and  nearly  rounded  paw  at  its  extremity,  an  extra  pair  of 
boots  and  an  umbrella. 


AN    EXPLORING   EXPEDITION.  267 

Here  was  a  rig  for  a  July  day  in  Texas,  with  the  ther- 
mometer at  105°  in  the  shade !  and  it  is  not  in  the  least  sur- 
prising that,  when  at  length  I  found  my  voice,  I  broke  out 
with— 

"  Who  in  the  name  of  all  the  gods  at  once,  are  you,  and 
where  did  you  come  from  ?" 

Whereat  my  comfortably-clad  friend  again  opened  his 
mouth  and  spoke. 

According  to  his  story,  which  was  delivered  in  the 
richest  vernacular  of  Down-East,  a  brother  of  his  wife  had 
years  previous  settled  far  in  the  interior  of  the  country, 
and  after  having  written  to  him  at  intervals,  describing  in 
glowing  language  the  beauties  and  fatness  of  the  land,  the 
excellence  of  the  timber,  and  the  manifold  blessings  atten- 
dant upon  a  residence  there,  at  length  himself  experienced 
one  of  them,  in  the  form  of  a  congestive  fever,  and  went 
off  in  a  jiffy  to  explore  another  country. 

Our  friend — who  bore  the  very  significant  name  of 
Green — much  affected  at  his  fate,  started  immediately  to 
see  after  the  effects :  with  a  brain  inflamed  by  floating 
visions  of  shingle  mills,  white  oak  staves,  free  pasturage, 
and  last,  not  least,  an  abundance  of  buffalo,  bear,  and 
deer,  which  had  been  represented  to  him  of  almost  as 
accommodating  dispositions  as  the  roast  pigs  in  the  story, 
who  ran  about  ready  roasted,  seeking  customers  to  eat 
them. 

There  is  a  tale  told,  in  the  Arabian  Nights,  of  a  certain 
prince  "  what's  his  name,"  who,  having  placed  himself 
astraddle  of  a  wooden  horse,  was  suddenly  and  inconti- 
nently landed,  without  any  previous  preparation,  in  a 
strange  country,  among  strangers.  Not  that  this  was 
either  the  first  or  the  last  time  that  a  man's  riding  his 


268  ANOTHER  "STRAY  YANKEE  IN  TEXAS." 

hobby  a  peg  too  high,  has  rendered  a  sudden  change  of 
climate  equally  agreeable  and  necessary. 

Green  was  in  precisely  a  similar  fix.  He  had  lived  for 
forty  years  in  some  secluded  part  of  Vermont,  knowing 
nothing  of  the  world,  except  the  limited  amount  of  expe- 
rience picked  up  at  home  ;  and  suddenly,  with  but  a  day 
or  two's  notice,  had  started  for  an  eastern  port,  found  a 
vessel  loaded  with  lime  and  notions  up  for  Texas,  em- 
barked, and,  after  a  short  passage,  lauded  in  Galveston, 
probably  as  verdant  a  specimen  of  humanity  as  ever,  at  the 
mature  age  of  forty,  escaped  from  the  maternal  apron- 
string,  or  a  wife's  petticoat  government. 

A  gentleman  in  Galveston,  to  whom  he  had  obtained  a 
letter  of  introduction,  persuaded  him  to  abandon  the  idea  of 
settling  far  "  up  country,"  and  advised  him  to  establish  him- 
self in  or  near  the  town,  and  work  for  a  while  at  some  one 
of  the  manifold  trades  which  he  professed  to  understand. 
The  merchant,  however,  soon  discovered  his  protege  to  be 
an  intolerable  bore,  and  to  get  rid  of  him,  inoculated  his 
brain  with  a  flaming  idea  of  the  immense  profits  which 
would  indubitably  attend  a  shingle  speculation,  and  pro- 
viding him  with  a  letter  to  Col.  Ting,  begging  him  for 
heaven's  sake  to  set  him  to  work  at  something  or  any- 
thing, packed  him  off  "  up  the  Bay." 

For  a  time,  Green's  excessive  ignorance  and  curiosity, 
combined  with  a  professed  knowledge  of  everything, 
afforded  much  amusement,  and  as  there  were  two  bright 
lads  of  the  respective  ages  of  seventeen  and  eighteen  in 
the  family,  ripe  for  mischief,  he  had  rather  a  hard  time  of 
it. 

The  difficulty  with  him  seemed  to  be,  that  so  many  flat- 
tering opportunities  of  realizing  a  fortune  presented  them- 


BRANDY.  269 

selves,  that,  not  knowing  which  to  choose,  he  appeared  in 
some  danger  of  enacting  again  the  fable  of  the  Ass  and 
the  bundles  of  hay. 

He  was  advised  by  the  Colonel  to  look  about  him  well 
ere  he  plunged  into  business  of  any  kind,  and  informed 
that  he  would  be  very  welcome  to  remain  with  him  as 
long  as  he  pleased,  and  that  horses,  guns,  etc.,  were  at  his 
disposal. 

Strange  as  it  may  appear,  the  new  comer  had  never  seen 
a  mule  until  his  advent  to  Texas  ;  and  one — a  fine  and 
spirited  saddle-beast,  with  enormous  ears — attracted  his 
particular  attention.  He  even  went  so  far  as  to  endeavor 
to  "  trade"  for  him,  and  although  warned  by  all,  of  the  cau- 
tion necessary  to  be  observed  by  every  one  unaccustomed 
to  the  horses,  and  particularly  the  mules  of  the  country, 
yet  he  persisted  in  his  assertion,  that  he  could  ride  any  of 
them  "  bare-back."  He  tried  it.  One  Sunday  morning, 
he  thought  that  a  ride  up  the  bayou  would  be  beneficial  to 
his  health  ;  and  having  had  "  Brandy"  (the  aforesaid  mule) 
driven  up,  came  into  the  porch  in  quest  of  a  saddle.  Un- 
fortunately, every  one  was  in  use  ;  but  the  Colonel  pro- 
vided him  with  a  light  snaffle-bitted  bridle,  wherewithal 
to  lead  the  mule  to  a  near  neighbor's,  for  the  purpose  of 
procuring  the  needful  trappings — at  the  same  time  warn- 
ing him  to  be  very  careful,  or  he  might  expect  a  severe 
fall. 

About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  as  the  lads  and  I 
were  standing  in  the  gin-house,  in  full  sight  of  the  road, 
Brandy  made  his  appearance,  trotting  along  very  gently — 
then  stopping  a  moment  to  crop  a  mouthful  of  anything  at 
hand — then  raising  his  ears,  shaking  his  head,  and  trotting 
on  again.  A  few  rods  behind  him  followed  Green,  evi- 


270  ANOTHER  "STRAY  YANKEE  IN  TEXAS." 

dently  in  a  passion,  now  shaking  his  fist  at  his  quondam 
pet,  now  throwing  a  club  at  him,  and  again  attempting  to 
draw  nearer  and  seize  the  bridle,  which  was  dangling 
from  the  mule's  head.  In  the  latter  attempt  he  was  emi- 
nently unsuccessful,  for  "  Brandy"  was  determined  to  keep 
his  former  rider  at  a  respectful  distance. 

What  had  happened  was  self-evident ;  and  I  could  not 
help  joining  in  the  roar  of  laughter  with  which  the  boys 
greeted  this  first  result  of  Green's  attempt  to  astonish  the 
natives  with  his  wondrous  horsemanship.  He  was  much 
irritated  at  his  reception,  and  inquired,  '"  If  that  was 
decent  behavior  to  a  feller-critter  that  had  just  escaped 
the  jors  of  destruction,  and  might  die  yet  from  his  hurts  ?" 
I  finally  appeased  him,  and  persuaded  him  to  tell  his 
tale. 

He  had  not  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  saddle,  and  fool- 
ishly started  off  without  one.  "  He  couldn't  get  the  crit- 
ter," he  said,  "  out  of  a  walk  to  save  him,  and  when  he 
tried  to  git  a  limb  to  whip  a  trot  out  of  him,  he'd  jerk 
away,  and  when  he  wanted  to  get  off  he'd  jump,  so  he 
jest  had  to  let  the  consarned  beast  have  his  own  way." 

At  length,  however,  he  reached  his  journey's  end,  and 
leaving  the  mule  hitched  at  the  bars,  went  into  the  house 
and  remained  some  hours,  which  did  not  in  the  least 
improve  "  Brandy's"  temper. 

"  I  got  a  big  gad,"  continued  he,  "  expecting  to  work 
my  passage  hum,  but,  by  lightnin',  he  went  off  like  a 
greased  streak,  and  I  couldn't  do  nothin'  but  holler,  say 
my  prayers,  and  stick  like  death  to  the  mane,  what  there 
was  of  it. 

"  We  went  through  the  woods  like  a  steam  ingin,  and 
when  we  got  into  the  parara  I  looked  around  for  a  place 


BRANDY   MAKES   A   DEPOSIT.  271 

to  light,  but  binieby  I  lit  fore  I  was  ready,  and  about  a  rod 
off,  too  ;  and  don't  you  think  arter  he'd  chucked  me  slap 
onter  the  ground  and  broke,  I  guess,  much's  five  or  six 
ribs,  he  jest  went  on  a  piece  and  stopped,  and  went  to 
feedin'.  Then  when  I  cum  up  near,  he  moved  on,  and  so 
he  sarved  me  all  the  way  hum,  and  I've  had  to  walk  much's 
five  mile,  all  smashed  up  as  I  be — and  the  darned  mean 
critter  kept  jest  ahead,  tantalizin'." 

We  tried  to  soothe  his  alarm,  telling  him  that  such  things 
were  of  ordinary  occurrence  ;  but  this  only  irritated  him 
the  more,  and  he  persisted  in  considering  himself  to  be 
morally  and  physically  a  deeply  injured  individual. 

To  bed  he  went,  and  would  have  a  doctor  sent  for,  even 
his  habitual  economy  in  this  instance  failing  of  its  duty  ; 
and  a  remark  that  the  visit  would  cost  him  a  cow  and 
calf — the  currency  of  the  country — or  ten  dollars,  merely 
elicited  the  remark  that "  he  guessed  he  could  beat  the  doc- 
tor down,  and  make  him  take  it  out  in  trade."  The  doc- 
tor, however,  laughed  at  his  fears  ;  but  Green  would  be 
and  was  bled,  blistered,  and  dosed,  although  a  second  visit 
from  the  medicus  he  could  not  obtain. 

The  soreness  occasioned  by  the  fall  remained  but  a  day 
or  so,  yet  his  bleeding  and  dosing  produced  a  temporary 
weakness  ;  and  insisting  upon  bein  :  dangerously  ill,  he 
kept  his  bed  for  a  fortnight.  At  len.  -th,  one  fine  morning, 
permitting  himself  to  be  persuaded  that  none  of  his  bones 
were  broken,  and  that  he  tad  received  no  internal  injury 
likely  to  prove  immediately  fatal,  he  ventured  out,  took  a 
short  walk,  and  returned  in  time  to  breakfast  with  the 
family. 

He  seemed  big  with  thought ;  something  evidently  was 
weighing  upon  his  mind,  and  several  times  during  the  meal 


272  ANOTHER  "STRAY  YANKEE  IN  TEXAS." 

he  suspended  operations  in  toto,  seeming  lost  in  calcula- 
tion. I  imagined  that  he  had  discovered  some  prominent 
point  on  the  bayou  suitable  for  one  of  his  manifold  pro- 
jects ;  but  this  idea  was  shooting  very  wide  of  the  mark. 
He  was  only  meditating  revenge.  At  last  he  broke  forth. 

"  I've  been  thinkin,  Curnil,"  said  he,  "  if  that  consarned 
long-eared  critter  was  mine,  and  warn't  worth  too  much 
money,  I'd  shoot  him." 

"  Indeed,"  replied  the  Colonel,  "  perhaps  I  would  part 
with  him  if  you  cannot  ease  your  mind  in  any  other  way. 
I  have  always  considered  his  value  to  be  twelve  cows  and 
calves,  but  under  the  circumstances,  you  may  have  him  for 
a  hundred  dollars." 

"  Jerusalem,  Curnil,  I  couldn't  stand  that,  but  I  wouldn't 
mind  givin'  fifty  cents  for  a  chance  to  give  him  a  right 
down  good  lickin',  and  make  him  feel  cheap — the  nasty 
beast." 

"  Well,  sir,  if  it  will  really  relieve  your  feelings,  I  have 
no  objection  to  your  administering  a  practical  lesson  to 
Mr.  Brandy,  upon  the  glaring  impropriety  of  his  conduct 
— although  I  must  decline  your  fee." 

Our  Yankee  jumped  at  the  offer,  and  seizing  a  long- 
lashed  cow- whip  that  hung  in  the  hall,  made  directly  for 
the  stable-yard,  which  was  near  the  house,  the  back  doors 
of  the  negro  quarter  opening  upon  it. 

"  Now,"  said  the  Colonel,  "  step  into  my  room  a  moment, 
and  let  us  listen  ;  after  he  is  fairly  warmed  up  with  his 
work  he  will  not  mind  our  seeing  him  ;  there  will  be  some 
fun,  depend  upon  it." 

Brandy  having  finished  his  morning  repast,  had  been 
turned  loose,  and  was  standing  very  complacently  in  the 
centre  of  the  yard,  when  Green,  whip  in  hand,  clambered 


HOT   AND    HOT.  273 

over  the  fence,  and  the  following  dialogue  ensued,  for 
monologue  it  was  not,  since  Brandy  sustained  his  part  with 
much  spirit. 

GREEN  loquitur.  Well  now,  you  nasty,  tobaker-leaf- 
eared,  hipercritical  critter,  don't  ye  feel  cheap,  eh  ? 

BRANDY  preserves  a  dignified  silence,  intimating,  by  the 
flapping  of  his  ears,  that  he  perfectly  understands  what 
has  been  said. 

GREEN.  There,  take  that  (attempting  an  application 
of  the  whip,  and  only  succeeding  in  getting  a  smart  rap 
with  the  snapper  upon  his  cheek).  Rot  these  darn  fool 
whips ! — as  long  as  the  moral  law'n  the  ten  command- 
ments with  the  hull  book  a  Revelation  for  a  snapper. 

After  various  attempts,  Green  began,  as  he  said,  "  to 
get  the  hang  of  the  thing,"  and  then  commenced  a  race 
around  the  lot,  the  Yankee  cracking  away  at  the  mule  and 
getting  rather  the  larger  share  of  the  lash  himself,  until 
he  finally  cornered  his  antagonist  in  a  kind  of  cul-de-sac, 
formed  by  the  junction  of  the  fence  and  stable  at  a  very 
acute  angle. 

GREEN.  There,  now,  I  guess  I  got  you,  and  we'll  begin 
to  settle  up.  (Crack,  crack,  crack.) 

BRANDY  lays  his  ears  back  perfectly  flat,  and  drawing 
his  -hind  feet  half-way  underneath  him,  quivers  all  over 
with  rage. 

GREEN.  Ah,  you  don't  like  it,  do  ye  ?  T'aint  quite  as 
good  fun  as  chucking  me  a  rod  onto  the  parara,  is  it  now  ? 
(Crack,  crack,  crack.) 

The  mule  drew  his  fore  feet  back,  until  they  joined  the 
hinder  ones — a  peculiar  twitching  motion  of  his  latter  end 
betokening  to  an  experienced  eye  that  something  might 
shortly  be  expected  from  that  quarter. 
12* 


274  ANOTHER  "STRAY  YANKEE  IN  TEXAS." 

At  this  moment  our  friend's  lash  caught  ronnd  the 
mule's  legs,  and  the  stock  was  jerked  from  his  hand.  He 
stepped  forward  and  stooped  to  pick  it  up,  when  quick  as 
lightning,  the  mule  let  fly  a  pair  of  heels,  which  sent 
Green's  hat  a  perfect  wreck,  spinning  across  the  yard, 
then  turning  short  in  his  tracks,  dashed  out  of  the  corner, 
knocking  Green  head-foremost  into  a  pile  of  fresh  manure. 

Green  jumped  up  in  a  moment,  perfectly  maddened  with 
rage,  and  jerking  a  rail  from  the  fence,  made  at  the 
enemy. 

"  Look  out,  man,  that  mule  will  kill  you !"  cried  the 
Colonel — but  too  late.  Green  had  already  struck  at  the 
mule,  who  parried  the  blow  with  her  heels,  knocking  the 
weapon  over  the  fence,  and  the  man  under  it,  and  then 
open-mouthed  rushed  at  him. 

How  the  Yankee  evaded  him  I  know  not — the  whole 
thing  was  done  so  quickly — but  evade  him  he  did,  and 
dashed  across  the  yard,  where  an  open  doorway  (through 
which  protruded  any  given  number  of  young  negroes' 
heads,  exhibiting  an  extensive  assortment  of  ivory)  offered 
shelter. 

Through  these  he  rushed,  making  a  general  average  of 
broken  heads  and  bloody  noses,  and  his  foot  tripping,  he 
plunged  headlong,  catching  with  both  hands  the  rim  of  a 
huge  wash-tub,  which  was  at  that  moment  in  the  use  of  a 
big,  greasy  wench,  and  pulling  it,  its  contents,  and  the 
wench,  above  all,  right  upon  him.  Dripping  like  a  Xaiad, 
he  emerged  from  the  other  door  of  the  cabin,  his  courage 
completely  cooled  by  the  wholesale  administration  of 
warm,  oleaginous  suds,  although  perhaps  not  perfectly 
satisfied  with  the  hydropathic  treatment  of  his  complaint. 

A  day  or  two  after  this  escapade,  I  happened  to  be  in  the 


PLATING  POSSUM.  275 

field  near  the  fence,  with  but  a  small  strip  of  cane  inter- 
vening, so  that  I  could  distinctly  hear  any  person  who 
might  be  speaking  on  the  outer  side,  while  remaining 
myself  unseen.  Presently  I  heard  Green's  heavy  step — 
tramp,  tramp,  tramp,  upon  the  hard  trodden  path.  Then 
it  ceased, — a  halt  evidently,— then  a  prolonged  whistle, 
which  always  with  him  betokened  astonishment — at  last 
came  the  voice. 

"  Oh,  git  eaut !  Now  aint  ye  a  beauty  ?  What  do  you 
call  yourself  when  you'r  tu  hum,  and  what  was  your  name 
afore  you  come  to  Texas  ?  Show  yer  teeth,  and  grin  like 
a  chessy  cat,  will  you  ?  Why  don't  ye  travel  ?  Are  ye 
sick  er  tired  ?  I  swanny  if  you  don't  travel,  I'll  make  you 
— there,  take  that !"  A  sugging  sound  here  intimated  that 
somebody  had  kicked  something  ;  and  then  the  voice  again 
— "  Well,  I  vow  to  man,  if  he  ain't  dead  aready  ;  who 
ever  see  the  beat  of  that  ?  Je-rusalem !  if  it  ain't  a  rat, 
ater  all ;  what  a  powerful  tail !  ain't  that  a  mouth  !  guess 
I'd  like  to  see  the  egg  big  enough  for  you  to  suck  ;  if  you 
didn't  smell  so  strong,  I'd  carry  you  hum,  by  ginger ! 
Well,  I  never,  if  this  don't  beat  all."  Here  a'nother  whis- 
tle was  heard,  whose  lengthened  sweetness  long  drawn 
out,  assured  me  that  the  oration  was  finished  ;  and  off  he 
wenjt. 

I  stepped  up  to  the  fence,  and  there  upon  a  little  knoll 
lay  a  poor  'possum  rolled  up  like  a  ball,  to  all  appearance 
as  dead  as  a  mackerel.  Presently,  however,  one  little 
bright  eye  half  unclosed,  then  opened  entirely  ;  then  the 
other  ;  the  head  was  turned  in  the  direction  of  the  retreat- 
ing enemy,  and  no  danger  appearing  from  that  quarter, 
first  one  paw,  and  then  another,  was  put  forth,  as  if  to 
ascertain  the  extent  of  damages  received,  and  apparently 


276  ANOTHER  "STRAY  YAXKEE  IN  TEXAS." 

liot  finding  them  severe,  the  poor  thing,  in  its  humble  way, 
commenced  sneaking  off.  A  sharp  rustle  in  the  cane 
checked  its  career,  and, — like  Kirby, — it  died  again. 

There  I  left  it,  determining  to  be  in  time  to  enjoy 
Green's  account  of  the  new  mare's  nest  which  he  had  dis- 
covered. 

The  man  had  been  so  laughed  at  and  quizzed  by  the  lads 
(indeed  ho  one  could  have  listened  unmoved  to  the  tales  of 
wonder,  and  witnessed  his  mode  of  "  actin'  em  eaut'7)  that 
tired  of  their  ridicule,  when  he  had  anything  to  tell,  aban- 
doning the  parlor,  he  sought  refuge  in  the  kitchen ;  for  tell 
them  he  must,  or  die  of  suppressed  marvels,  and  he  pre- 
ferred a  negro  audience  to  none  at  all. 

The  kitchen  in  the  evening  was  the  rendezvous  of  a 
queer  patriarchal  old  negro,  named  Tom,  and  his  family. 
There  were  Old  Tom,  and  Young  Tom,  and  Little  Tom, 
and  the  dog  Tommy,  one  more  than  Marryatt's  Dominee 
discovered — but,  in  compensation,  they  claimed  a  less 
number  of  tails — always  to  be  found  after  supper,  when 
not  engaged  in  hunting. 

The  old  man  had  been  the  "  hunter"  upon  a  large  plan- 
tation in  Alabama,  and  had  not  forgotten  the  art,  although 
two  of  his  sons,  Tom  and  Buck,  now  killed  the  most 
game. 

There  was  one  singular  thing  about  them.  Tom  never 
failed  when  geese,  turkeys,  or  anything  that  wore  feathers 
was  in  question,  but  had  never  shot  a  deer.  Buck,  on  the 
contrary,  was  the  most  skilful  deer-hunter  in  the  country, 
yet  always  missed  the  birds. 

This  was  the  society  which  Green  sought,  to  unburden 
his  overtasked  bosom  of  the  miraculous  events  of  the  day  ; 
and  it  was  a  perfect  study  to  see  the  old  grey-headed  negro 


IMPROVED  MODE  OF  HUNTING.          277 

leaning  his  head  upon  the  "  manteltree,"  gazing  in  the  fire, 
to  prevent  the  commission  of  so  gross  a  piece  of  disrespect 
as  laughing  in  the  man's  face,  yet  quivering  all  over  with 
the  attempt  to  prevent  it. 

Tom  and  Buck,  after  listening  awhile,  usually  adjourned 
to  a  neighboring  grove,  and  there  woke  the  night  with 
their  long-suppressed  shouts. 

On  the  outside  of  the  cabin  the  Colonel's  sons  stood,  so 
as  to  listen,  and  peep  through  the  crevice,  enjoying  the 
scene,  but  unobserved  themselves. 

Green  soon  announced  his  intention  to  go  out  and  kill  a 
deer,  and  accordingly  borrowed  a  rifle  ;  the  dogs  he  could 
not  borrow,  for  we  had  all  seen  too  much  of  him  to  intrust 
them  to  his  care. 

Resisting  all  efforts  upon  the  boys'  part  to  accompany 
him,  he  started  off  early  in  the  morning,  crossed  the  Bayou, 
and  went  over  to  the  large  prairie  where  deer  are  more 
plenty  than  I  have  ever  seen  them  elsewhere.  However, 
despite  their  abundance,  he  returned  at  night  without 
game,  and  in  a  great  rage,  denouncing  a  certain  Captain 
White — who  lived  some  distance  down  the  bayou, — as  the 
"  stupidest  fool  he  ever  see." 

It  appeared  that  our  friend  had  found  several  fine  droves 
of  deer,  and  tried  the  very  original  mode  of  walking  up 
sufficiently  near  to  shoot  them,  but  finding  that  this  would 
not  do,  he  conceived  a  new  and  brilliant  idea.  As  to  all 
appearances  they  were  very  tame,  and  when  startled  by 
his  proximity  ran  but  a  short  distance,  and  then  stopped, 
he  imagined  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  uniting  the 
droves  in*  sight,  and  then  driving  all  into  White's  cowpen, 
there  to  make  a  regular  battue. 

After  manoeuvring,  and  walking,  and  running  all  day, 


278          ANOTHER  "STRAY  YANKEE  IN  TEXAS." 

he  at  length  succeeded  in  getting  a  large  number  very  near 
the  desired  spot,  and  keeping  not  more  than  an  eighth  of 
a  mile  behind  them  himself. 

'  But  White  who  was  sitting  on  the  fence,  wondering 
what  "  that  fool  stranger"  could  be  doing  now,  disregarded 
all  his  signs  about  letting  down  the  bars,  and  when  the 
deer,  giving  the  pen  a  wide  berth,  trotted  off  again  into 
the  wide  prairie,  and  Green  came  up  in  a  rage,  he  was 
well  laughed  at. 

All  that  we  could  say  would  not  convince  him  but  that 
the  deer  would  have  gone  quietly  into  the  pen,  and 
remained  peaceably  there. 

The  last  of  Green's  performances  that  I  witnessed  was 
his  sudden  exit  from  the  back  of  a  spirited  "  Creole"  pony 
which  he  would  ride,  in  the  hunt  of  a  wild  mule.  His 
horse,  perfectly  trained  to  the  business,  was  close  upon  the 
mule's  heels,  and  seeing  the  latter  turn,  wheeled  in  his 
tracks,  while  Green  went  on.  This  was  upon  the  edge  of 
a  water-hole,  and  our  friend  received  a  good  ducking,  and 
some  bruises. 

As  long  as  he  remained  upon  the  prairie,  his  excessive 
vanity  and  extensive  knowledge  led  him  into  fresh  diffi- 
culties ;  he  started  a  brick-kiln,  burnt  a  coal-pit,  cut  cord- 
wood,  bought  a  market-boat,  and  tried  trading  upon  the 
bayou,  but  finally  was  forced  to  return  to  Galveston,  and 
go  to  hard  work  as  a  blacksmith,  in  order  to  earn  money 
enough  to  pay  his  passage  home. 

An  event  that  occurred  during  this  summer,  in  our  usu- 
ally quiet  settlement,  must  not  go  unnoticed,  and  to  it 
shall  a  long  chapter  be  devoted. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

GENERAL  HEIGHT'S  TOM — A   DARK  STORY. 

THE  character  of  the  Southern  negro  is  but  little  under- 
stood at  the  North.  Their  infirmity  of  purpose,  their 
impotence  to  understand  or  contend  against  argument,  the 
facility  with  which  they  can  be  persuaded  to  anything  by 
a  white  man  whom  they  deem  a  friend,  and  their  savage 
vindictiveness  of  temper  when  provoked,  are  such  that 
one  shudders  with  horror  at  the  inevitable  consequences 
of  their  being  turned  loose  en  masse  to  shift  for  themselves, 
a  prey  to  all  the  dark  master  spirits  among  them. 

The  plantation  of  General  Bright  was  delightfully 
situated  upon  the  bay,  along  whose  banks  it  extended  for 
more  than  a  mile.  The  soil  was  excellent,  as  the  prodi- 
gious growth  of  weeds  in  his  field  proved,  and  unfortu- 
nately they  also  gave  in  very  clear  evidence  of  great 
neglect,  upon  the  part  of  the  owner,  and  equally  great 
incompetence  on  that  of  the  overseer. 

Public  business,  heavy  law  suits,  in  which  he  was  pro- 
fessionally engaged,  and  extensive  speculations  in  land, 
occupied  much  of  the  General's  time  abroad,  and  required 
his  study  when  at  home.  His  overseer,  a  lazy  German, 
utterly  unfitted  for  his  situation,  and  far  more  of  a  compa- 
nion than  a  master  for  the  negroes,  was  in  consequence 
cordially  despised  by  them,  as  coming  within  the  list  of 
"  poor  white  folks,"  a  class  they  think  almost  beneath  con- 
tempt. 


280  GENERAL   HEIGHT'S   TOM. 

As  an  illustration  of  the  manner  in  which  the  work  was 
done,  or  rather  left  undone,  upon  the  plantation,  I  will 
mention  an  incident. 

One  fine  summer  morning  I  mounted  my  horse  some  time 
before  sunrise,  with  the  intention  of  visiting  the  General 
upon  some  business.  I  made  so  early  a  start  because  I 
knew  he  was  to  leave  for  Houston  after  breakfast,  and 
during  that  meal  I  could  arrange  matters  with  him. 

As  I  approached  the  field  fence,  by  a  road  cut  through 
the  heavy  timber  that  everywhere  skirts  the  shore,  I  fell 
into  pleasant  reverie,  induced  by  fresh  air  from  the  bay, 
the  songs  of  a  thousand  birds,  and  the  perfume  of  count- 
less flowers,  whose  beauty  captivated  my  eye,  and  whose 
odor  charmed  the  senses.  I  let  the  reins  fall  upon  the 
neck  of  my  horse,  who  seemed  to  be  as  much  pleased  as 
hfo  master,  and  walked  along  very  leisurely,  making  no 
more  noise  than  a  cat,  upon  the  heavy  carpet  of  leaves 
beneath  his  feet. 

I  was  at  length  aroused  by  an  abrupt  pause  upon  the 
part  of  the  animal,  who  evinced  great  uneasiness,  snuffed 
the  air  with  suspicion,  pawed  the  ground  impatiently,  and 
becoming  satisfied  that  a  screw  was  loose  somewhere, 
made  an  effort  to  turn  back.  I,  however,  forced  him  to 
go  on,  and  soon  came  in  sight  of  something  that  puzzled 
me  not  a  little.  In  a  cow-pen  a  short  distance  before  me 
I  saw  a  number  of  arms  and  legs  in  most  violent  motion  ; 
so  rapid  indeed  that  I  could  not  estimate  their  number. 
My  horse  progressed  from  snuffing  to  snorting,  and  from 
exhibiting  a  disinclination  to  proceed,  to  showing  a  very 
strong  determination  to  get  out  of  the  scrape,  even  if  he 
had  to  run  away  to  do  it.  A  severe  application  of  the  long 
and  sharp  rowels  of  my  Mexican  spurs,  brought  him  to  his 


PAS  DE   COW-PEN.  281 

senses,  and  a  spring  or  two  carried  us  abreast  the  object 
of  his  dread,  and  my  wonder.  In  the  middle  of  the  cow- 
pen,  where  his  body  had  been  partially  concealed  from  me 
by  the  trunk  of  a  large  tree,  was  a  negro  dancing  most 
•rigorously  at  the  post — or  "poteau,"  as  it  is  termed — 
that  stood  there.  So  occupied  was  he,  that  he  neither 
heard  nor  saw  me,  but  continued  his  extravagant  saltatory 
exercise.  He  would  bow  to  the  post,  jump  up  and  kick 
his  heels  together,  shuffle  upon  the  heel  and  toe,  mean- 
while keeping  his  arms  in  motion  like  the  sails  of  a  wind- 
mill. 

An  empty  pail  in  one  corner,  and  half  a  dozen  calves 
standing  very  placidly  by  as  many  cows,  and  all  gazing 
with  meek  wonder,  and  perfect  quiet — save  when  one  of 
the  small  fry  would  seem  to  attempt  an  awkward  imitation 
of  so  unapproachable  an  original — proved  that  the  chan  e 
of  milk  for  breakfast  was  rather  dubious. 

With  us,  the  calves  are  permitted  to  take  the  latter  and 
better  half  of  the  milk,  but  in  Texas  the  invariable  custom 
is  to  turn  them  in  first,  and  after  allowing  them  a  fair 
share,  to  drag  them  out  again.  A  Texas  cow,  denied  the 
privilege  of  attending  to  the  wants  of  her  offspring  before 
all  others,  would  refuse  peremptorily  to  stand  and  deliver 
her  milky  treasures. 

The  whole  thing  was  self-evident.  Berry  had  turned  in 
his  calves,  and  intended  to  amuse  himself  with  practising 
a  few  of  his  peculiar  steps — perhaps  a  new  pas,  for  he  was 
the  beau  par  excellence  of  the  plantation — while  they  were 
breakfasting ;  but  becoming  excited  by  the  dance,  en- 
chanted by  the  amiability  of  the  young  lady  represented 
by  the  post,  or  perhaps  intent  upon  the  execution  of  some 
marvellous  entrechat,  he  had  forgotten  the  world  and  all 


282  GENERAL  HEIGHT'S  TOM. 

its  cares,  and  might  for  all  I  know,  have  worked  away 
until  noon,  had  not  a  peal  of  laughter,  no  longer  to  be 
repressed  by  me,  awaked  him  very  suddenly.  His  surprise 
and  alarm  were  about  as  ludicrous  as  any  part  of  the  per- 
formance. Catching  hold  of  his  top-knot — where  his  hat 
should  have  been,  if  he  had  not  danced  it  off — he  jerked  a 
bow  to  me,  then  dismissing  the  calves  in  a  fury,  he  fell  to 
work  upon  the  nearest  cow.  The  animal  looked  around 
with  an  expression  of  great  disdain,  and  slowly  raising 
her  most  convenient  foot,  sent  Berry  and  his  pail  rolling 
upon  the  ground  ;  then  walking  to  the  bars,  turned  round 
facing  the  enemy,  and  evidently  enjoying  the  fun. 

The  negro  jumped  up  in  confusion  worse  confounded, 
clapped  the  pail  on  his  head  in  lieu  of  his  hat,  discovered 
his  mistake,  pitched  it  off  again,  and  then  seeing  that  I 
was  sitting  very  quietly,  and  exceedingly  amused,  he 
thought  it  best  to  say  something. 

"  Mornin',  Massa  Phil,  berry  fine  mornin'  dis  ere  to  be 
ridin'  out  in  ;  'pears  Massa  gwine  to  breakfas  long  wid  de 
Gen'l." 

"  Yes,  very  fine  morning,  Berry,  and  a  fine  tumble 
you've  had,  and  a  fine  lot  of  milk  you'll  not  have,  I  should 
think,  by  appearances." 

"  Hi,  Massa,  dog  on  de  cow  anyway  " — throwing  a  club 
at  her,  which  mark  of  attention  was  received  with  rather 
an  ominous  bow  upon  the  animal's  part — "  yes,  Massa,  dorn 
no  'count  calves  done  fool  me  agin." 

"  Fooled  you  again,  Berry  ?  Why,  boy,  you've  fooled 
yourself,  and  your  master." 

"  Now  look  heah,  Massa  Phil,  I  told  you  de  truff ;  dem 
calves  de  smartest  critters  you  eber  see  ;  dey  gits  out 
o'  de  pen,  and  gits  all  de  milk,  and  den  jumps  back  agin, 


TOM  AND   MILLY.  283 

so  I  shan't  catch  'em  at  it.  I  wer  jest  practizin'  long  wid 
Miss  Post  dar,  and  waitin'  for  'era,  but  dey  didn't  get  de 
fust  drop,  Massa — dey  done  got  it  all  afore." 

"  Well,  that's  a  very  fine  story,  Berry,  but  what  will  Mr. 
Donks  say  to  you  ?" 

"  Oh,  I  don't  keer  for  Massa  Donks  ;  ain't  much  'count 
no  way." 

"  I  believe  you,  Berry ;  but  the  General  will  miss  his 
milk  and  give  you  an  overhauling." 

"  Ain't  gwine  to,  Massa  Phil.  I  tell  him  bout  what 
smart  calves  he's  got,  den  he  laugh  and  forget  all  'bout 
it." 

So  it  turned  out,  and  so  everything  turned  out  upon  the 
General's  plantation.  The  negroes,  free  from  any  proper 
control,  did  as  they  pleased,  and  far  from  being  of  any  use 
to  themselves  or  others,  were  universally  esteemed  a  pub- 
lic nuisance,  and  ordered  to  keep  at  a  respectable  distance 
from  the  few  plantations  in  the  vicinity. 

With  two  exceptions,  the  negroes  were  naturally  good 
enough,  and  under  a  careful  master  would  have  been 
valuable  hands,  but  among  them  were  two  that  were  the 
dread  of  the  settlement — an  old  family  nurse  named  Milly, 
who  had  perfect  liberty  from  her  master  to  go  and  come 
as  she  pleased,  enjoyed  the  reputation  of  a  witch  among 
the  blacks,  who  obeyed  her  implicity,  and  among  the 
whites  was  believed  to  be  at  the  bottom  of  all  the  deviltry 
among  the  negroes  for  fifty  miles  around  ;  the  other  was  a 
very  powerful  man  named  Tom,  whose  former  owner  had 
sold  him  to  the  General  for  a  song,  being  impelled  thereto 
by  personal  fear,  and  the  fact  that  one  of  his  slaves,  who 
had  offended  the  rascal  one  day,  was  found  in  a  gully 
dead,  and  evidently  murdered,  on  the  next.  Some  inqui- 


284  GENERAL  BRIGHT^  TOM. 

ries  were  instituted  without  satisfactory  result,  and  it  was 
supposed  that  the  planter,  having  lost  one  negro,  did  not 
wish  to  lose  another,  so  that  the  investigation  was  not 
very  rigidly  conducted  by  him  at  least. 

General  Bright  had  several  carpenters  employed  in 
finishing  a  new  house,  to  replace  one  that  had  bee  myste- 
riously burned.  With  one  exception,  these  men  were  all 
strangers,  men  that  wandered  about,  not  having  been 
regularly  brought  up  to  their  business,  but  knowing  just 
enough  to  handle  a  plane  and  broad-axe,  and  without  any 
fixed  home,  they  worked  at  anything  that  happened  to 
present  itself. 

In  the  Texan  vocabulary,  all  men  who  have  a  mere 
inkling  of  any  trade  or  profession,  are  called  "  jack-legs." 
You  will  hear  of  "jack-leg"  lawyers,  "  jack-leg"  preachers, 
and  "jack-leg"  doctors. 

These  men  were  "jack-leg"  carpenters. 

Not  far  from  the  General's  plantation  lived  an  old 
sailor  known  to  everybody  as  Jack  Rowse,  or  more  usually 
Jack — and  a  thorough  jack  he  was  at  almost  all  trades  ;  car- 
pentering, boat-building,  seine-making,  clearing,  farming, 
all  came  natural  to  Jack,  who  cultivated  a  small  field,  and 
managed  a  small  stock  of  cattle,  the  property  of  two 
orphan  boys.  Jack  had  been  for  years  an  inmate  of  the 
house,  and  a  familiar  of  the  family,  and  when  the  father,  and 
soon  after  the  mother,  fell  victims  to  the  fatal  fall  fever, 
Jack  established  himself  as  the  guardian  of  two  lads  of 
the  respective  ages  of  twelve  and  eight,  and  performed  his 
duties  so  well  that  no  one  thought  of  disputing  his  title  to 
the  post. 

Among  the  carpenters  was  one  named  Deane,  entirely 
unknown  to  any  of  the  Bay  settlers.  He  had  fraternized 


MYSTERIOUS   DISAPPEARANCE.  285 

with  Jack,  probably  in  order  that  he  might  have  the  use 
of  an  excellent  grindstone  belonging  to  the  latter. 

One  Monday  morning,  Deane  walked  over  to  Jack's  to 
grind  a  number  of  plane  bits,  but  did  not  return.  A  mes- 
senger was  despatched  by  his  comrades  in  search  of  him, 
and  learned  that  he  had  been  at  Jack's,  ground  all  his 
bits,  and  set  forth  upon  his  return  at  about  11  A.M.  The 
distance  from  the  spot  where  he  had  been  at  work  to 
Jack's  house,  was  not  over  half  a  mile  ;  the  plantation 
fence  itself  was  not  more  than  one  fourth  of  that  distance, 
and  would  have  been  very  plainly  visible  but  for  a 
small  strip  of  wood  that  extended  on  both  sides  of  it. 
Although  there  was  not  another  house  within  three 
miles,  this  disappearance  did  not  excite  any  particular 
apprehension  at  the  time ;  for,  from  what  little  was  known 
of  Deane,  he  was  supposed  to  be  a  roving  character,  here 
to-day,  and  gone  to-morrow.  It  was  also  known  that  he 
had  some  acquaintance  among  the  boatmen  of  the  Bay, 
and  it  did  not  seem  impossible  that  he  might  have  met 
some  of  them  while  returning  to  the  General's,  and  been 
persuaded  by  them  to  go  down  to  Galveston  on  a  frolic. 
It  was  known  that  he  had  obtained  some  money  on  the 
previous  Saturday  from  his  employer,  who,  on  the  eve  of 
departing  for  Houston,  had  paid  off  his  workmen. 

A  discovery  was  made,  however,  in  the  course  of  the 
week  that  excited  great  apprehensions  for  his  safety. 
There  lived  upon  the  bayou,  some  six  miles  distant,  two  or 
three  families  who  supported  themselves  by  cutting  cord- 
wood,  and  selling  it  to  the  Galveston  boatmen.  With 
these  Deane  had  some  acquaintance,  having  occasionally 
made  a  few  trips  upon  some  of  the  boats. 

On  the  Sunday  previous  to  his  disappearance,  he  had 


286  GENERAL   BRIGHT's   TOM. 

walked  over  to  the  bayou  and  spent  the  day  there.  He 
•was  in  a  very  gay  and  talkative  mood,  boasted  of  being 
about  to  leave  for  New  Orleans,  whence  he  intended  to  go 
up  the  river,  and  visit  his  parents,  and  exhibited  a  valua- 
ble gold  watch  and  chain,  and  a  handful  of  gold,  of  which 
he  said  he  had  five  hundred  dollars  about  his  person — a 
prodigious  sum  in  the  eyes  of  his  audience. 

The  matter  now  assumed  so  serious  an  aspect  that  Col. 
Pratt,  an  intimate  friend  of  the  General,  and  a  man  of 
wealth  and  standing,  determined  upon  a  thorough  search 
for  the  body,  supposing  that  the  rumor  of  the  money  that 
Deane  carried  about  him,  might  have  reached  the  ears  of 
some  of  the  boatmen — among  whom  were  those  of  more 
than  dubious  character — and  that,  returning  from  Jack's, 
he  had  been  set  upon  and  murdered,  while  in  the  piece  of 
woods  between  the  two  houses — a  little  prairie  of  perhaps 
two  acres,  and  a  small  newly-cleared  field  being  all  the 
open  ground  from  Jack's  door-yard  fence,  to  Gen.  Bright's 
new  house.  The  whole  wood  was  searched  over,  but  in 
vain,  and  the  first  week  passed  away  without  any  clue  to 
the  missing  man's  fate. 

Jack  Rowse,  with  whom — owing  to  some  skill  in  boat- 
ing and  fishing  that  I  possessed — I  was  a  great  favorite, 
came  up  to  see  me,  and  induced  me  to  go  carefully  over  the 
ground  with  him.  Jack  felt  very  badly  from  two  reasons. 
He  was  evidently  grieved  at  the  man's  probable  fate,  and 
feared  that  in  some  manner  he  might  be  implicated, 
although  the  two  boys  were  present  during  the  time  of 
Deane's  visit,  and  in  fact  hardly  out  of  sight  of  Jack's  dur- 
ing the  remainder  of  the  day. 

On  the  afternoon  of  Wednesday  of  the  ensuing  week, 
Charles,  the  elder  of  the  two  boys — now  a  bright  lad  of 


THE   BODY   DISCOVERED.  287 

fourteen  years,  and  as  knowing  in  signs  and  trails  as  an 
Indian — rode  np  to  old  Doctor  Wheaton's,  where  I  had 
been  for  the  day,  and  called  me  out  of  the  house.  He  had 
evidently  ridden  hard,  and  was  very  much  excited. 

"  Heavens,  Charles,"  said  I,  "  what  is  the  matter  ?  Have 
you  found  Deane  or  his  body  ?" 

"  Yes,  sir,"  he  answered.  "  I  found  his  body,  and  Rowse 
is  in  a  terrible  way  about  it.  He  wants  you  to  ride  down 
immediately,  and  bring  five  or  six  men  with  you,  and  to  be 
particular  who  they  are.  I  heard  that  you  were  at  Col. 
Pratt's,  and  when  I  found  that  you  were  here,  I  didn't 
want  to  let  on  anything  about  it,  but  he  saw  how  queer  I 
looked,  and  I  had  to  tell  him.  Rowse  says  if  he  had  found 
the  body  and  told  of  it,  it  wouldn't  be  so  bad,  and  he  wants 
to  know  if  you  don't  think  we  had  better  say  we  found 
it  together  ?" 

"  By  no  means,  Charles,"  I  answered  ;  "  no  honest  man 
will  accuse  Rowse  of  having  anything  to  do  with  the  mat- 
ter, and  as  for  the  others,  who  have  probably  had  a  hand 
in  it,  and  may  wish  to  throw  the  guilt  upon  some  one  else, 
we  are  too  strong  for  them,  and  know  them  too  well  besides. 
You  must  not  think  of  deviating  a  hair's  breadth  from 
the  truth,  for  if  you  are  questioned,  you  would  be  sure  to 
betray  the  prevarication,  and  then  there  would  be  trouble 
in  earnest.  But  where  did  you  find  the  body  ?" 

"  Right  between  the  house  and  the  field,"  said  Charles, 
"  and  not  ten  steps  from  the  path  to  the  General's." 

It  appears  that  Rowse  and  Charles  had  been  working 
for  several  days  in  the  small  field  within  a  stone's  throw 
of  the  spot  where  the  body  lay  concealed,  and  had  noticed 
at  times  a  peculiar  and  unpleasant  odor,  but  without  hav- 
ing the  most  remote  idea  as  to  its  cause.  Charles  had 


288  GENERAL   BRIGHT's   TOM. 

been  sent  to  hunt  up  a  pair  of  oxen,  and  not  being  able  to 
find  but  one  of  them,  remembering  the  effluvia  that  had 
filled  the  air  for  the  week  past,  and  thinking  that  the  miss- 
ing ox  might  have  been  killed  by  some  accident,  and  be 
the  occasion  of  the  smell,  endeavored  to  find  the  spot  from 
which  it  proceeded.  He  examined  the  thickets  around 
the  little  prairie  carefully,  passed  and  repassed  a  small 
clump  of  sassafras,  without  peeping  in  it,  but  at  last  had 
his  attention  attracted  to  it  by  the  flocks  of  carrion  crows, 
and  buzzards  wheeling  and  circling  above  it. 

The  cluster  of  bushes  was  not  more  than  ten  feet  in 
length,  and  about  half  as  many  in  breadth,  but  the  young 
sassafras  shoots  were  thick  and  straight  as  young  cane, 
and  perfectly  defied  visual  penetration.  It  would  almost 
seem  that  the  spot  had  been  especially  contrived  to  cun- 
ningly conceal  some  such  deed  as  it  now  did.  The  bushes 
grew  in  a  perfect  oval  form  around  a  spot  of  bare  ground, 
just  large  enough  for  the  body  of  a  man  to  lie  upon  at  full 
length.  Charles  parted  the  bushes,  and  there  stiff  and 
stark  lay  the  horrid  corpse  of  a  man,  stretched  out  upon 
his  back,  with  his  arms  extended  behind  his  head,  as  if  he 
had  fallen  backwards  and  expired  in  a  fit.  The  eyes,  fixed 
and  staring,  seemed  to  gaze  in  an  awful  manner  upon  tho 
sky,  and  had  doubtless  protected  the  body  from  the 
ravages  of  the  obscene  birds  that  flitted  ever  near.  The 
filthy  charnel  beetle  and  the  loathsome  worm,  however, 
were  not  to  be  so'  deceived,  and  had  claimed  their  dues. 

Charles,  frightened  at  the  horror  before  him,  and  almost 
fainting  at  the  fetid  odor,  scarcely  glanced  at  the  dread 
object,  and  rushed  to  the  house  to  call  Rowse.  The  old 
sailor,  not  so  easily  daunted,  examined  the  body  more  par- 
ticularly, taking  especial  pains  to  stand  in  the  footprints 


BIGNS   OF   FOUL  PLAY.  289 

of  Charles,  and  to  disturb  nothing  either  on  the  ground  or 
among  the  bushes.  One  of  the  hands  of  the  dead  man 
grasped  a  long  butcher  knife,  in  the  other  were  the  plane 
bits ;  while  on  the  ground,  and  immediately  under  his  arm- 
pits, lay  two  large  watermelons. 

Charles — who  would  not  venture  upon  another  Bight — 
upon  hearing  his  companion's  description  of  the  body  and 
its  accessories,  immediately  declared  that  the  man  had 
been  killed,  and  then  placed  so  as  the  idea  might  bo 
received  that  he  had  died  a  sudden,  but  .not  violent,  death, 
but  Rowse  inclined  to  the  opposite  belief. 


13 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

GENERAL  BRIGHT^    TOM,   CONCLUDED. 

HAVING  obtained  the  assistance  of  some  half-dozen  men, 
and  among  them  the  old  doctor  of  the  settlement,  and 
a  young  but  very  skilful  surgeon,  a  German,  who  had 
served  professionally  in  the  army,  and  was  then  living  on 
the  Bay,  I  set  forth  for  the  scene  of  the  murder,  or  what- 
ever else  it  might  be.  Upon  approaching  the  place  I 
begged  my  companions  to  keep  away  from  the  spot  until 
Dr.  Graam — the  surgeon — and  I,  had  carefully  examined 
the  ground  about  it ;  but  as  we  rode  up  to  the  field  fence 
Col.  Pratt,  with  two  others,  came  in  upon  the  other  side 
at  full  gallop,  and  throwing  loose  the  reins  of  their  horses, 
hastened  to  obtain  a  view  ;  and  my  men,  unable  to  resist 
the  temptation,  immediately  followed  their  example. 

I  will  not  dwell  upon  the  shocking  and  revolting  sight 
that  met  our  gaze.  One  look  was  enough  for  all  except 
Graam,  who,  more  accustomed  to  such  spectacles,  proceeded 
to  examine  the  body  as  well  as  he  could. 

Rowse,  who  then  came  up,  went  to  his  assistance  ;  and 
the  two  reported  to  us  that  the  right  shoe  was  only  partly 
upon  the  foot,  the  left  had,  apparently,  been  put  on  hastily, 
and  that  both  strings  were  broken.  The  clothes  appeared 
to  be  somewhat  drawn  up,  but  so  far  had  decomposition 
progressed,  that  they  could  not  ascertain  correctly. 

A  nephew  of  Gen.  Bright's,  with  the  carpenters,  arrived 
at  this  moment,  and  the  former,  taking  Pratt  aside,  held  a 


SUSPICION.  291 

close  and  animated  conversation  with  him.  One  of  the 
Carpenters  asked  Rowse  if  he  had  observed  the  butcher's 
knife  when  he  was  at  his  house  for  the  last  time. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Rowse,  "  and  he  said  he  took  it  away 
from  Tom,  who  had  been  in  the  bush  for  some  time  ;  and 
just  as  Deane  came  to  the  fence,  there  sat  the  nigger  on 
the  ground  asleep.  Deane  tried  to  make  him  go  home, 
but  couldn't,  and  after  a  tussle  got  the  knife  away,  and 
Tom  run  off." 

"  Good  heaven,"  exclaimed  Graam,  "  why  didn't  you  say 
so  before  ?  That  black  scoundrel  is  the  murderer ;  for 
that  man's  been  murdered,  or  I  know  nothing  about 
death." 

"  No  such  thing,  doctor,"  said  Pratt.  "  I've  been  talking 
with  Mr.  Bright  about  it,  and  he  is  very  sure  the  negro 
came  home  on  Sunday  night,  and  was  at  work  all  day  Mon- 
day in  the  cornfield." 

"  Yes !"  added  Bright,  "  and  /  want  to  know  two  things. 
"Who  besides  Rowse  saw  the  knife  in  Deane's  possession  ? 
I  don't  wonder  Rowse  feels  uneasy  ;  although  I  am  sure 
Deane  helped  himself  to  a  pair  of  watermelons  out  of  the 
patch  in  the  field,  and  had  just  sat  down  to  eat  them  when 
he  was  taken  with  a  fit.  I  also  want  to  know  of  you,  Dr. 
Graam,  what  authority  you  have  for  asserting  that  the  man 
was  murdered." 

"  Because,  sir,"  replied  Graam,  "  no  man's  body  could 
present  such  an  appearance  after  death  caused  by  a  fit  of 
any  kind  ;  there  would  be  a  contraction  of  the  muscles 
and  distortion  of  the  limbs.  And  I  am,  moreover,  certain 
that  the  death-blow — administered  by  whomsoever  it  may 
have  been — was  as  instantaneous  in  its  effects  as  the 
lightning  from  heaven."  (Here  one  of  the  carpenters 


292  GENEKAL  BEIGHl's  TOM — CONCLUDED. 

approached  the  speaker,  and  a  word  or  two  in  a  low  tone 
of  voice  passed  between  them,  when  the  doctor  went  on.) 
"  As  to  your  assertion  that  Tom  was  at  home  on  Monday. 
I  know  the  reverse  to  have  been  the  case.  I  was  at  the 
plantation  on  Monday  evening,  and  he  had  not  come  in 
then  ;  and,  moreover,  your  overseer  told  me  so  himself. 
If  he  came  in  on  Monday  at  all  it  must  have  been  late  at 
night." 

"  I  -can  tell  you,  Graam,"  retorted  young  Bright,  "  my 
uncle  is  absent  from  home,  but  I  shall  protect  his  property. 
Here  is  a  man  found  dead,  and  so  you  would  like  to  take 
one  of  our  negroes  and  string  him  up  without  knowing 
anything  about  the  cause  of  the  man's  death  ;  without 
having  anything  like  proof  that  he  met  with  foul  play  ;  or 
even  if  you  knew  he  had  been  murdered,  without  the 
slightest  shade  of  evidence  against  Tom." 

"  Permit  me  to  say  one  word,"  said  I.  "  We  have  no 
idea  of  hanging  the  negro  ;  not  one  word  has  been  said 
about  it  in  any  way  ;  but  we  intend  to  investigate  this 
matter  thoroughly,  and  the  more  so,  because  there  is  con- 
vincing proof  that  the  man  has  met  with  a  bloody  end. 
Had  he  fallen  in  a  fit  those  large  melons  would  have 
broken,  and,  moreover,  they  would  not  have  remained  in 
their  present  position  ;  then,  again,  it  would  be  an  utter 
impossibility  for  any  one  to  carry  them  under  his  arms, 
were  they  not  more  than  of  half  the  size.  See,  one  hand 
is  occupied  with  a  knife  and  the  other  full  of  plane-bits. 
How  came  one  shoe  to  be  off,  the  strings  of  both  to  be 
broken  ?  How  came  the  man's  clothes  drawn  up  ?  I  will 
tell  you :  he  was  killed,  and  then  dragged  by  the  feet 
into  the  bush." 

Not  wishing  to  enter  into  a  controversy,  I  now  went 


THE   DEATH  SHOT.  293 

round  upon  the  south  side  of  the  little  thicket,  where,  as 
yet,  the  grass  was  undisturbed  by  foot-prints.  I  spoke 
quietly  to  Charles,  and  unobserved,  we  commenced  a  close 
examination  of  the  ground.  At  the  end  of  the  bushes  we 
found  two  that  had  been  partly  broken  and  then  appa- 
rently set  up  again,  although  the  breaking  might  have 
been  done  by  cattle,  or  even  by  the  man,  if  it  were  possi- 
ble that  he  had  entered  alive.  We  could  find  nothing  on 
the  ground  or  in  the  grass  to  satisfy  us  ;  still  it  did  appear 
as  if  something  had  been  dragged  over  it ;  but  knowing 
the  suspicion  that  dwelt  in  my  mind,  I  determined  to  say 
nothing  at  present,  but  to  survey  the  scene  in  detail  on  the 
next  day. 

Returning  to  the  disputants,  we  found  that  from  words 
there  was  some  prospect  of  their  proceeding  to  blows,  and 
nothing  but  a  determined  interposition  on  the  part  of  the 
rest  prevented  it.  No  new  fact  had  been  elicited,  except 
that  a  planter,  who  lived  a  mile  farther  from  the  spot  than 
General  Bright,  declared  that  he  heard  a  loud  shot  on  the 
Bay  shore  at  precisely  half-past  twelve  on  the  said  Mon- 
day ;  and  Rowse  and  Charles  also  remembered  having 
heard  it,  although  until  it  was  mentioned,  the  fact  had 
passed  from  their  minds,  the  occurrence  being  of  so  common 
a  nature,  and  at  the  time  there  was  no  cause  to  particu- 
larly direct  their  attention  to  it. 

The  shot  was,  by  the  planter's  account,  in  the  direction 
of  the  spot  where  the  body  lay  ;  and  Row-se,  who  was  upon 
the  other  side,  was  very  sure  the  report  was  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  General's  plantation. 

At  this  moment  two  of  the  carpenters,  who  had  slipped 
quietly  away,  returned  with  Tom  in  custody,  and  accom- 
panied also  by  old  Milly,  who  made  a  great  outcry,  and 


294  GENERAL   BRIGHl's   TOM — CONCLUDED. 

said  that  she  had  been  by  the  spot  where  the  man  lay 
every  day  since  he  had  disappeared,  and  pretended  to  be 
very  much  frightened  at  the  great  danger  she  had  incurred 
in  so  doing. 

Pratt  bade  her  be  still,  for,  said  he,  "  if  there's  been  any 
mischief  on  foot,  old  woman,  you  have  been  at  the  bottom 
of  it." 

He  then  caused  the  negro  to  be  taken  where  he  could 
see  the  remains,  but  Tom  exhibited  not  the  slightest  emo- 
tion of  any  kind. 

"  Tom,"  inquired  Pratt,  "  when  did  you  last  see  Deane  ? 

"  Not  for  more'n  tree  week,  massa,"  the  negro  replied. 

"  How  came  your  knife  by  him  then  ?"  demanded 
Pratt. 

"  I  done  leff  him  home  when  I  took  to  the  bush,  sa," 
answered  Tom. 

"  I  tell  you  what,  gentlemen,"  interrupted  the  head  car- 
penter, "  I  have  a  word  or  two  to  say.  This  man  has  been 
killed,  and  if  he  has  no  friends  to  revenge  him,  we  will. 
That  nigger's  got  to  speak,  so,  boys,  let's  put  a  rope  round 
his  neck  and  choke  the  truth  out  of  him." 

"  No,  no,"  said  Pratt,  "  hear  me  first.  General  Bright 
is  away,  but  will  return  to-morrow  ;  and  his  nephew  has 
requested  me,  during  his  absence,  to  stand  in  his  place.  I 
make  this  proposition  to  you.  The  negro  shall  be  placed 
in  your  hands  for  safe  keeping,  and  you  must  give  me  your 
words  that  you  will  not  injure  him  in  any  way,  nor  attempt 
to  extort  any  confession  from  him  until  his  master's  return. 
You  know  that  the  general  will  sec  justice  done  ;  and  you 
also  know  how  shrewd  he  is,  and  how  far  he  can  see  into 
a  dark  question.  He  will  probably  return  to-morrow. 
Will  you  take  Tom  on  these  terms  ?" 


A   RUDE    BURIAL.  295 

After  a  few  minutes'  consultation  they  agreed  to  the 
proposition  ;  and  then  the  question  arose  as  to  what  dis- 
position should  be  made  of  the  body. 

"  We  must  even  bury  him  as  he  lies,"  said  Pratt ;  "  when 
it  is  possible,  his  bones  shall  have  a  coffin  and  a  funeral." 

And  so  we  buried  him  ;  drew  the  earth  and  heaped  it 
above  him.  A  horrible  burying,  but  all  that  we  could  do. 

A  feeling  of  deep  sadness  took  possession  of  us  all,  and 
the  three  parties  mounted  their  horses  in  silence  and  rode 
off.  Before  I  had  ridden  ten  rods,  Charles  came  galloping 
up,  and  said  he  wished  to  s*peak  to  me. 

"  What  is  it,  Charles  ?"  said  I. 

"  I  want  to  know  what  we  shall  do  1"  he  replied. 

"  It  is  now  growing  dark,"  said  I,  "  and  you  can  do 
nothing.  Early  to-morrow  morning  you  had  better  take  a 
wide  circle  around  the  cluster  of  bushes,  and  walk  round 
and  round,  drawing  slowly  in  towards  them,  and  examin- 
ing closely  every  bit  of  the  ground  that  you  pass  over.  If 
that  man  was  killed,  he  was  not  killed  where  he  now  lies  ; 
and  such  a  deed  cannot  have  been  committed  without 
leaving  some  trace.  Whether  you  make  any  discovery  or 
not,  ride  up  and  see  me.  I  shall  stay  at  the  doctor's  for  a 
day  or  two."  And  so  we  parted. 

But  on  the  next  day  the  windows  of  heaven  were  opened, 
and  the  rain — as  if  sent  to  wash  the  blood  from  the  earth's 
bosom — descended  in  a  continued  torent.  So  violent  was 
the  storm  that  stern  necessity  alone  could  induce  any  one 
to  leave  the  friendly  shelter  of  his  roof-tree,  and  all  per- 
quisition and  search  regarding  the  fatal  affair,  would  have 
been  in  vain. 

On  Friday  morning  the  sun  came  forth  bright  and  glo- 


296  GENERAL   HEIGHT'S   TOM — CONCLUDED. 

rious.  After  waiting  some  time  to  hear  from  Charles  and 
Rowse  ;  the  elder  doctor — the  younger  was  down  with  the 
ague — a  neighbour,  and  I,  had  caught  up  our  horses  to 
ride  down  to  the  shore,  when  Charles  made  his  appearance, 
seeming  very  much  excited. 

He  was  very  sure  that  he  had  discovered  the  place 
where  the  deed  had  been  done.  Pursuing  the  course  that 
I  had  advised,  he  came  upon  a  bare  spot,  and  he  stooped 
down  to  examine  it  closely.  The  grass  had  been  trampled 
down  and  was  quite  dead,  and  looking  from  the  place  to 
the  cluster  of  bushes,  it  was  very  plain  to  sec  that  some- 
thing had  been  dragged  from  the  former  to  the  latter. 
The  rain  of  the  previous  day,  that  had  invigorated  the 
grass  around,  seemed  to  have  borne  to  the  ground  all  that 
over  which  the  body  had  been  drawn.  The  reason  for  this 
was  obvious.  All  the  herbage  in  the  vicinity  had  pre- 
viously become  quite  dry  and  drooping,  and  as  the  dis- 
tance between  the  two  places  was  not  more  than  five  or 
six  rods,  it  required  but  little  ingenuity  for  the  murderer 
to  brush  up  and  arrange  the  portion  over  which  he  had 
drawn  his  guilty  burden.  The  rain  that  invigorated  the 
surrounding  grass,  crushed  that  to  the  earth. 

On  arriving  at  the  place  we  found  that  Charles  was  per- 
fectly correct  in  his  assertions.  Nor  was  this  all.  Upon 
examining  the  earth,  it  appeared  to  have  been  completely 
soaked  with. blood,  and  in  it,  the  vile  beetle  was  at  work. 
The  peculiar  and  fetid  odor,  alone,  was  sufficient  tes- 
timony. 

Taking  a  small  portion  of  the  earth,  I  wrapped  it  in  a 
piece  of  paper,  and  immediately  rode  across  the  prairie  to 
Col.  Pratt's.  I  found  him  at  home,  seated  upon  his  piazza, 


RUNNING  JACK.  297 

and  without  any  preliminary  conversation  produced  my 
parcel,  and  requested  him  to  examine  it,  and  to  tell  me 
what  the  strange  smell  that  pervaded  it  was  like. 

He  answered  immediately  :  "  Why,  sir,  this  came  from 
the  earth  upon  which  Deane's  body  lies,  there  is  no  mis- 
taking it." 

"  No,  Colonel,"  said  I,  "  it  did  not ;  but  it  came  from 
the  spot  upon  which  he  was  murdered,  and  where  his  life- 
blood  was  poured  out." 

I  then  explained  to  him  all  the  circumstances,  and  he 
admitted  that  we  were  doubtless  correct  in  our  conjec- 
tures with  regard  to  the  murder. 

"  But,"  said  he,  "  the  General  has  returned,  and  we  must 
go  over  at  once  and  inform  him." 

"We  did  so,  and  found  the  general  quite  prepared  for 
such  a  communication.  As  soon  as  he  had  reached  home, 
and  heard  the  facts,  he  had  made  up  his  mind  that  murder 
had  been  committed  ;  and  immediately  taking  Tom,  had 
whipped  him  very  severely.  At  first  the  negro  was 
obstinate  and  pleaded  innocence,  but  finally  confessed,  that 
while  in  the  bush  he  came  across  Running  Jack — a  negro 
quite  as  notorious  in  Texas  as  ';  Three  Fingered  Jack"  of 
the  story  book  ever  was — that  Jack  witnessed  the  tussle 
between  Deane  and  himself,  and  endeavored  to  persuade 
him  to  a  bloody  revenge,  and  when  he  refused,  that  Jack, 
threatening  to  shoot  him  if  he  interfered,  took  his  musket, 
crouched  down  in  a  gully  near  the  path,  and  when  Deane 
came  along,  shot  him  down,  and  then  cut  his  throat.  Being 
terribly  frightened,  he  made  his  escape  from  Jack  when 
the  latter  was  asleep,  and  then  went  home  to  the  plan- 
tation. 

"  This,"  said  the  General,  "  is  Tom's  story,  and  I  haye 
13* 


298  GENERAL   HEIGHT'S  TOM — CONCLUDED. 

no  reason  either  to  believe  or  to  disbelieve  it ;  but  one 
thing  is  certain,  we  must  procure  all  the  assistance  that  we 
can,  and  drive  every  thicket  about  here.  If  Tom's  story 
be  true,  there  is  little  doubt  but  that  Jack  is  yet  about, 
and  must  be  hunted  down,  or  he  will  do  more  mischief. 
This  must  be  done  immediately.  To-morrow  will  be 
Saturday,  and  if  you,  Mr.  P.,  will  go  up  prairie  and 
raise  what  men  you  can,  and  also  send  some  one  to  the 
upper  settlement,  and  a  third  person  across  the  Bayou,  I 
think  that  by  Sunday  morning  we  can  muster  sixty  or 
seventy  men.  If  possible,  let  them  rendezvous  as  early  as 
ten  on  Sunday  morning  at  the  doctor's  ;  then  spread  your 
line  well  across  the  prairie,  and  drive  down  to  the  shore. 
If  Jack  is  about,  we  will  have  him.  I  shall  not  leave  the 
plantation  while  my  scoundrel  is  here,  and  as  the  whole 
settlement  is  very  much  excited,  I  would  wish  to  keep  Pratt 
here  also  ;  for  though  I  am  determined  to  see  justice  done, 
I  am  also  determined  to  have  it  done  legally,  or  at  least 
after  due  consideration  in  the  premises." 

I  informed  him  of  my  willingness  to  aid  him  in  the  affair 
in  any  manner  ;  and  after  some  more  conversation,  and 
settling  definitely  the  course  to  be  pursued,  took  my 
leave. 

Early  the  next  morning  I  left  for  up-prairie  to  beat  up 
recruits  ;  two  others  having  gone  in  different  directions 
for  the  same  purpose  ;  and  by  Sunday,  at  the  appointed 
hour,  so  well  had  we  succeeded,  that  some  eighty  men,  well 
armed  and  mounted,  met  at  the  rendezvous. 

Spreading  ourselves  out,  we  commenced  driving  down 
towards  the  shore,  drawing  every  thicket  carefully,  but  all 
in  vain — no  Running  Jack  was  to  be  found.  At  1  P.M. 
we  had  gone  over  all  the  ground,  and  met  at  Rowse's 


A  VOICE   FEOM  THE  GRAVE.  299 

field.  Dismounting,  we  hitched  our  horses  to  the  fence, 
and  went  in  a  body  to  the  scene  of  the  murder. 

As  carefully  as  we  had  covered  the  body,  the  heavy  rain 
had  washed  away  a  portion  of  the  earth,  and  left  exposed 
an  arm  and  hand. 

The  arm  was  extended,  and  the  hand  opened,  as  if 
pleading — not  for  "  the  voice  and  utterance"  of  our  tongues, 
but  for  vengeance,  speedy  and  sure.  . 

The  effect  of  this  horrible  spectacle  was  terrific,  and  if 
the  negro  had  been  upon  the  ground,  his  life  had  not  been 
worth  five  minutes'  purchase. 

Americans,  however,  even  when  terribly  excited,  do 
everything  in  a  formal  manner,  and  although  flying  in  the 
very  face  of  the  law,  proceed  in  a  systematic  and  ceremo- 
nious way  about  it. 

While  we  were  organizing  pro  forma,  a  new  comer 
arrived  from  Houston,  and  brought  the  intelligence  that 
Running  Jack  had  been  taken  beyond  Austin,  and  three 
hundred  miles  away  from  us,  a  day  or  so  before  the  murder 
was  committed.  This  seemed  to  settle  all  question  with 
regard  to  the  guilt  of  the  accused,  and  there  is  little 
doubt  but  that  he  would  have  met  with  a  speedy  retribu- 
tion, had  not  the  arrival  of  young  Bright,  with  a  request 
from  his  uncle  that  we  would  all  ride  over  to  his  house, 
interrupted  the  proceedings  at  first,  and  then  incidentally 
broke  up  the  meeting. 

Dr.  Graam  arose,  and  asked  us  to  refuse  the  General's 
request,  until  we  had  arranged  in  what  manner  we  should 
appear  before  him  ;  whether  as  his  guests,  or  with  a 
formal  demand  for  the  person  of  Tom.  Bright  replied  to 
him  in  an  insulting  manner,  and  in  an  instant  issue  was 
joined.  Such  a  fight  I  had  never  witnessed  before,  nor  do 


300  GENERAL  BRIGHl's  TOM — CONCLUDED. 

I  wish  to  witness  again.  They  were  both  unarmed  ;  the 
one  weak  and  reduced  by  fever,  the  other  a  puny  youth  ; 
grappling  each  other  with  the  ferocity  of  bull-dogs,  but 
without  the  power  to  do  any  serious  bodily  harm,  they 
rolled  over  and  over  upon  the  ground,  and  for  a  long 
time  all  attempts  to  separate  them  were  useless. 

Finally,  a  small  squad  of  men,  disgusted  or  wearied, 
mounted  their  horses  and  rode  off ;  others  followed,  and 
when  the  two  combatants — entirely  hors  du  combat — were 
at  last  pulled  asunder,  but  few  remained  on  the  ground, 
and  those  few  immediately  followed  on  to  the  General's. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  plantation,  we  found  him 
addressing  the  crowd.  He  stated  that  he  had  now  no 
doubt  of  Tom's  guilt,  and  that  he  pledged  his  word  to 
place  the  prisoner  in  Houston  jail  immediately,  and  to 
assist  in  the  prosecution  ;  but  he  also  said  that  he  ques- 
tioned whether  there  was  sufficient  testimony  to  convict 
the  negro.  He  spoke  long  and  well,  and  when  he  con- 
cluded, some  accepted  his  invitation  to  dinner,  and  others 
rode  off  without  it. 

The  General  kept  his  word,  although  with  difficulty,  for 
before  he  could  lodge  the  negro  in  jail,  the  latter  made  his 
escape  three  times,  and  was  as  often  retaken — once  after 
he  had  been  off  for  two  weeks. 

When  Tom  was  incarcerated,  the  jail  had  no  other 
tenants,  but  soon  after,  two  white  desperadoes  were 
placed  there  to  keep  him  company,  and  the  next  night  the 
three  disappeared. 

One  was  retaken  months  after ;  and  from  him  it  was 
learned  that  Tom  had  been  taken  far  off  and  sold.  This 
proved  to  be  true,  and  it  was  also  true  that  he  deserted 
his  new  master  the  next  day,  probably  to  be  sold  again. 


THE  MUEDEEEE'S  FATE.  301 

A  negro  answering  his  description,  was  just  at  this  time 
sold  to  a  planter  in  Louisiana,  near  the  Texas  line,  and 
within  a  week,  was  found  in  the  woods  near  by,  with  his 
throat  cut  from  ear  to  ear — a  fate  not  surprising  at  all 
under  the  circumstances — the  death  wound  having  beyond 
doubt  been  inflicted  by  the  man  who  ran  him  off,  as  a  pre- 
caution to  prevent  discovery  and  tale-telling. 

In  conclusion,  I  will  state  that  after  Tom's  incarcera- 
tion, he  confessed  the  murder,  but  expressed  no  sorrow 
for  the  deed — only  regret  that  he  could  not  also  kill  his 
master. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE   CRISIS. 

DURING  the  occurrence  of  the  events  recorded  in  the  pre- 
vious chapter,  Col.  Ting  had  been  from  home,  nor  did  he 
return  until  Tom  had  been  lodged  in  jail.  I  was  sitting 
upon  the  piazza,  one  fine  evening  in  the  end  of  August, 
when  I  perceived  the  Colonel  riding  briskly  along  between 
the  two  islands  that  separated  us  from  the  main  prairie  : 
and  calling  one  of  the  boys  to  take  his  horse,  I  walked  out 
to  meet  him. 

He  was  particularly  silent  and  reserved,  and  had  an 
expression  of  countenance  that  puzzled  me.  To  my 
inquiry  of  "  how  he  had  succeeded,  and  if  anything  was 
the  matter  ?"  he  replied  that  he  had  been  very  fortunate, 
but  that  something  had  occurred  which  annoyed  him  very 
much,  and  that  after  supper  he  would  tell  me,  but  was 
very  desirous  to  keep  it  from  his  family. 

After  supper  we  walked  down  to  the  bayou,  and  the 
Colonel  informed  me  of  what  he  had  done  during  his 
absence.  He  had  been  fortunate  beyond  his  expectations 
in  procuring  testimony,  but  turning  aside  from  the 
Houston  road — after  he  had  crossed  the  bayou — to  call 
upon  Mr.  Roberts,  had  met  with  a  rather  serious  adven- 
ture. 

Mr.  Roberts  lived  some  distance  down  the  river,  upon 
an  odd  kind  of  bayou,  known  as  Oyster  Creek,  and  as 


AN   AMBUSH.  303 

Ting  left  the  main  road  to  take  the  trail  that  led 
down  river,  a  man  rode  out  of  a  point  of  timber  near 
by,  and  galloped  up,  with  the  intention  of  addressing 
him. 

"  Is  your  name  Ting  ?"  demanded  the  stranger. 

"  It  is,"  replied  the  Colonel.     "  What  then  ?" 

"  Much,"  answered  the  other.  "  It  is  known  to  some 
that  don't  love  you  particularly,  that  you  will  be  here  to- 
day. I  have  been  left  to  look  after  you,  should  you 
take  the  Houston  road ;  there  are  others  in  the  timber, 
and  your  life  will  be  in  danger  if  you  keep  on  your  pre- 
sent track." 

"  How  do  I  know  that  ?"  demanded  Ting.  "  How  do  I 
know  but  that  you  wish  to  lead  me  into  an  ambush  ? 
Why  should  I  have  faith  in  you?" 

"  I  shall  not  answer,"  was  the  reply,  "  but  I  speak  the 
truth  nevertheless,  and  risk  my  own  life  by  so  doing ;  if 
any  one  has  seen  us  together,  I  am  sold.  Take  care  of 
yourself;"  and  clapping  spurs  to  his  horse,  he  galloped 
off. 

Ting  dashed  after  him,  but  his  travel-wearied  horse  was 
no  match  for  the  fresh  animal  of  the  stranger,  and  giving 
up  the  attempt  after  a  short  brush,  he  rode  back  to  the 
trail.  Deliberating  a  moment,  he  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  if  any  danger  was  to  be  apprehended,  it  would  most 
likely  be  from  following  the  man's  advice,  for,  by  his  own 
confession,  he  was  the  accomplice  of  villains.  He  there- 
fore took  the  trail,  riding,  however,  very  slowly,  and  look- 
ing about  him  very  carefully.  Well  was  it  that  he  did  so, 
for  he  had  not  proceeded  far  before  discovering  a  horse 
apparently  hitched  by  his  bridle  at  some  distance  in  the 
open  woods. 


304  THE    CEISIS. 

Ting  paused  for  a  moment,  then  heard  a  slight. 
rustle  in  a  bunch  of  bushes  near  him.  Putting  spurs  to 
his  horse,  he  dashed  at  the  spot.  A  rifle  barrel  protruded 
— the  sharp  click-click  of  the  lock  was  heard — a  cap 
exploded,  followed  by  no  other  report,  and  a  man  jumping 
from  his  place  of  concealment,  rushed  into  the  forest. 
Ting  pursued,  but  a  thicket  on  the  banks  of  an  adjacent 
bayou  favored  the  fugitive,  and  he  escaped. 

The  horse  that  had  been  hitched,  alarmed  at  the  noise, 
broke  his  bridle  and  ran  off,  and  Ting  had  nothing 
else  to  do  but  to  resume  his  journey,  with  quite  enough 
upon  his  mind,  to  exercise  it  fully  during  the  rest  of  the 
day. 

He  went  to  Roberts's  plantation,  arranged  some  busi- 
ness with  him,  and  reached  Houston  first,  and  home  after- 
wards, without  further  adventure,  but  the  one  was  quite 
enough. 

It  was  very  plain  that  some  of  the  gang  had  determined 
to  take  his  life,  and  it  was  very  probable  that  they  were 
aware  of  the  active  steps  which  his  emissaries  were  taking 
to  obtain  proof  against  them,  and  bring  them  to  justice. 
He  determined  upon  open  war,  and  war  to  the  knife,  as 
far  as  Horsely  was  concerned. 

On  the  succeeding  day  I  left  for  Houston,  where  I 
met  Roberts,  who  arrived  there  the  same  evening  that  I 
did. 

The  events  of  that  night  we  shall  both  remember  as  long 
as  memory  sits  upon  her  throne. 

After  a  supper  at  the  Old  Capitol,  Mr.  Roberts  and  I 
walked  down  to  the  principal  bar-room  of  the  place,  and 
having  obtained  cigars,  lit  them,  and  sat  down  to  con- 
verse. 


A   "COUP   DE   GRACE."  305 

The  room  was  large,  and  well  tenanted.  Around  every 
table  were  groups  of  men,  smoking,  drinking,  and  playing 
dominoes. 

Suddenly  the  loud  report  of  a  gun  near  at  hand  was 
heard.  In  an  instant  a  man  shrieking  "  Murder  "  rushed 
into  the  room,  ran  up  to  the  bar,  and  caught  hold  of  the 
brass  railing  in  front.  Before  he  had  half  crossed  the 
floor,  another  person  sprang  in  at  the  same  door,  and 
hardly  had  the  first  seized  the  bar  railing,  when  the  other 
struck  him  down  by  a  blow  upon  the  head,  from  a  clubbed 
musket  which  he  brandished  in  both  hands.  The  mur- 
derer was  instantly  seized,  and  the  murdered  raised  and 
placed  upon  a  settee.  Medical  assistance  was  at  hand, 
but  useless. 

Upon  examining  the  body,  it  was  found  to  have  been 
shot  right  through  the  heart. 

The  coroner  and  the  sheriff  were  immediately  sent  for, 
but  before  their  arrival,  the  perpetrator  of  the  horrid 
deed  was  called  upon  by  those  present  to  give  the  reason 
for  its  commission. 

The  wretch — who  was  no  other  than  Horsely — seemed 
very  calm,  and  in  no  way  alarmed.  He  told  a  very 
straightforward  story,  and  said  that  the  man  he  had  killed, 
was  a  notorious  desperado,  who  had  been  hired  to  take  his 
— Horsely's — life,  and  then  produced  a  letter  purporting 
to  have  been  written  by  a  person  living  upon  Spring 
Creek,  that  gave  him  warning  of  the  design.  He  also 
said  that  the  man  had  followed  him  and  dogged  him  at 
night  for  the  last  week  ;  that  he  had  repeatedly  seen  him 
sneaking  about  in  an  open  lot  behind  his  house,  and  that 
while  sitting  at  the  window  in  the  second  story,  a  few 
minutes  before,  he  noticed  something  moving  about  in  the 


306  THE    CRISIS. 

high  weeds  beneath  him.  He  left  the  window,  and  pro- 
curing his  gun,  returned,  and  sat  down  again.  Presently 
a  rifle  barrel  was  pointed  at  him,  and  he,  seizing  his  gun, 
fired  immediately  at  the  half-visible  object.  We  knew  the 
rest. 

The  sheriff  and  coroner  arrived  ;  Horsely  was  taken 
into  custody  by  the  former,  and  the  latter  commenced  his 
legal  examination,  which  resulted  in  a  verdict  of  "  Wilful 
Murder." 

Horsely,  however,  made  light  of  the  affair,  and  when 
brought  before  the  Justice  next  morning,  told  his  story 
in  a  bold,  nonchalant  manner,  and  named  several  per- 
sons who,  he  said,  were  knowing  to  the  main  facts  of  the 
case. 

Most  persons  present  believed  his  statement,  and  even 
thought  he  had  "  done  the  'state  some  service."  As  the 
case  proceeded,  the  aspect  of  affairs  changed.  The  gun 
which  he  said  was  in  the  hands  of  his  victim,  was  found 
in  the  weeds.  It  was  unbreeched  by  a  gunsmith,  and 
found  to  contain  a  load  that  had  evidently  been  in  it  for 
years.  It  was  identified  ;  and  the  owner,  on  being  pro- 
duced in  court,  swore  that  Horsely  had  some  days  before 
asked  him  if  he  had  any  old  gun  stowed  away  that  no  one 
knew  ;  and  that  he  had  loaned  him  the  one  then  in  court. 
It  was  also  proved  that  the  prisoner  had  been  to  others 
for  the  same  purpose.  Several  persons  testified  to  having 
seen  Horsely  and  the  murdered  man  repeatedly  late  at 
night  in  close  conversation. 

Upon  examining  the  spot  where  the  deed  was  com- 
mitted, it  was  plain  that  the  man  had  been  seated  on  a 
piece  of  timber  at  the  time  he  was  shot.  The  footprints 
of  Horsely  proved  pretty  conclusively  that  he  had  been 


IMPORTANT  DEVELOPMENTS.  307 

sitting  by  his  side,  and  the  direction  in  which  the  slugs 
entered  the  boards  of  a  house  against  which  the  piece 
of  timber  rested,  established  the  fact  that  the  shot  was 
fired  from  the  corner  of  Horsely's  house,  and  by  a  person 
kneeling  or  stooping. 

In  spite  of  all  the  efforts  of  eminent  counsel,  Horsely  was 
refused  bail,  and  delivered  into  the  sheriff's  custody,  to 
await  his  trial  in  the  District  Court.  As  the  session  was 
to  commence  on  the  ensuing  week,  there  was  every  pros- 
pect of  short  work  being  made  in  the  matter  ;  but  a  change 
of  venue  was  obtained,  and  the  prisoner  sent  to  Maiden  for 
trial. 

Maiden  was  also  my  destination,  and  although  it  had 
not  been  my  intention  to  have  gone  there  so  soon,  yet, 
Roberts  and  Ormsby,  who  were  attending  court  in  Hous- 
ton, deemed  it  best  to  keep  Horsely  in  sight,  thinking  that 
some  benefit  might  accrue  to  our  cause  from  his  present 
situation. 

In  fact  his  capture  had  already  led  to  important  disco- 
veries ;  a  gang  of  counterfeiters  had  been  exposed,  and 
some  persons  suddenly  left  Houston  and  its  vicinity  without 
any  intention  of  returning. 

On  arriving  at  Maiden  we  found  the  prisoner  under 
very  careful  watch  and  ward,  confined  in  a  strong  hewed- 
log  building,  and  bound  with  chains. 

From  some  developments  that  had  been  made  since  the 
murder,  it  was  now  certain  that  by  it,  the  prisoner  had 
incurred  the  enmity  of  his  clan,  and  that  the  murdered 
man  was  one  of  their  principal  agents.  He  it  was  who 
had  warned  Ting  of  his  danger  in  the  Brazos  ;  and  for 
this,  as  well  as  from  a  fear  of  further  developments, 
Horsely  had  determined  to  close  his  mouth  for  ever. 


808  THE    CRISIS. 

Ormsby  now  brought  an  old  friend,  Sol  Wilgus,  into 
play  again ;  but  Sol  could  get  but  little  from  Horsely 
about  our  papers  or  the  suit,  except  an  offer  to  give  up  all, 
if  Orinsby  would  defend  him  and  bring  him  off  clear. 

On  the  Saturday  afternoon  succeeding  our  arrival  in 
Maiden,  Ormsby  and  I  had  mounted  our  horses  with  the 
intention  of  riding  a  few  miles  to  a  friend's  plantation, 
where  we  intended  to  pass  Sunday,  when  Sol  came  up  and 
inquired  where  we  were  going.  We  told  him  ;  and  lie 
endeavored  to  persuade  us  to  remain,  warning  us  of  an 
impending  shower,  which  he  said  would  be  sure  to  give  us 
wet  jackets. 

We  refused  at  first  to  listen  to  his  advice,  but  at  last 
Ormsby,  who  thought  there  might  be  more  in  it  than  at 
first  met  the  eye,  said, 

"  Sol,  what  do  you  mean  ?  you  know  it  can't  rain  before 
we  get  to  Smith's ;  if  there  is  any  reason  why  we  should 
stay  here  to-night,  say  so  at  once." 

"  Well,  Judge,"  he  replied,  "  I  reckon  you'd  better  stay, 
that's  a  fact ;  prehaps  if  you  do  you'll  hear  it  thunder  afore 
morning." 

"  I  think  it  very  likely,  Sol,"  said  I ;  "  but  what  then  ?" 

"  Well,"  he  answered,  "  when  it  docs  thunder  you'd  best 
stay  to  hum  till  I  come,  and  not  go  out  in  the  rain  and 
get  wet  for  nothin'." 

"  I  shall  take  your  advice,  Sol,"  returned  Ormsby  ;  and 
we  dismounted,  and  concluded  to  stay,  without  at  all  know- 
ing why  ;  but  still  reposing  confidence  in  our  scapegrace 
of  an  aide-de-camp. 

The  sun  had  but  just  set  when  Sol's  prediction  was  lite- 
rally fulfilled  ;  it  did  thunder.  The  rain  poured  down  in 
sheets,  and  the  vivid  lightning  shot  to  and  fro,  making  the 


TEE  PURSUIT.  309 

blackness  of  the  night  blacker  yet  in  the  short  intervals 
between  the  flashes. 

At  about  nine  o'clock  we  heard  it  thunder  allegorically. 
Horsely  had  escaped  ;  and  in  spite  of  the  dreadful  storm 
that  was  raging,  the  town  was  astir.  Remembering  Sol's 
counsel  we  remained  at  home,  and  there  we  soon  had 
a  visit  from  our  emissary.  His  information  about  the 
intended  escape  had  not  been  direct,  but  he  had  ferreted 
out  enough  to  be  certain,  not  only  of  it,  but  also  of  the 
direction  which  the  fugitive  would  take  ;  and  he  advised 
us  to  keep  still  for  some  time. 

"  I've  spoke,"  said  he,  "  to  Jo  Stebbins  (the  Sheriff)  and 
he'll  be  up  here  afore  long.  You  must  let  all  these  fools 
put  out  that's  a  goin'  to  hunt  him  ;  and  about  eleven,  when 
all's  quiet  and  shady,  we'll  jest  mount  our  nags  and  trot 
out  to  Whitely's.  Thar's  spies'  about,  but  we  wont  have 
em  known  to  our  doins.  Jake  Horsely 's  in  "the  bush  and 
there  he'll  stay  till  the  road's  clar,  and  then  he'll  break  for 
"Whitely's.  If  he  onst  gits  thar  he's  a  gone  coon.  The  boys 
didn't  let  him  loose  for  no  good.  He  threatened  to  blow 
on  em  if  they  didn't  get  him  clar,  and  so  they  got  him 
clar,  and  now  they'll  blow  him.  You  keen't  (can't)  catch 
him  ondly  when  he  comes  out  of  the  timber  and  makes  for 
"Whitely's  pen,  and  ef  you  don't  get  him  afore  he's  in  the 
house  you  never  '11  get  him  alive." 

We  obeyed  Sol's  directions  implicitly,  and  at  eleven 
mounted  our  horses  and  set  forth  for  Whitely's.  Our  party 
consisted  of  Roberts,  Ormsby,  Stebbins,  Sol,  and  myself — 
all  well  armed.  The  storm  had  ceased,  and  the  moon  now 
shone  brightly.  The  five  miles  that  we  had  to  travel  were 
soon  gone  over,  and  we  were  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
of  Whitely's,  when  Sol  directed  to  dismount  and  hitch  our 


310  THE    CRISIS. 

horses.  Proceeding  stealthily  on  foot,  we  came  to  the 
field  fence,  and  followed  it  around,  until  we  arrived  at  the 
rear,  where  a  beaten  path  led  from  the  woods  to  the  house. 
We  dared  not  approach  the  latter  any  more  closely  for 
fear  of  alarming  the  dog. 

For  nearly  an  hour  we  watched  in  silence  ;  then  a  step 
was  heard. 

"  Let  him  get  half  over  the  fence  before  you  make  a 
show,"  whispered  Sol. 

Onward  came  the  step.  It  was  our  man.  Concealed 
among  the  trees,  we  waited  until  he  had  passed,  and  even 
until  he  was  quite  upon  the  fence,  and  then  we  sprang 
at  him.  Off  he  fell  upon  the  ground,  jumped  up  and  ran 
for  the  -house,  which  he  had  almost  reached,  when  Sol 
caught  him,  and  in  a  moment  we  had  him  securely 
pinioned. 

We  were  almost  at,  and  exactly  in  front  of  the  house. 
The  noise  of  the  chase  and  capture  alarmed  the  inmates, 
and  as  they  burst  the  door  open,  there  we  stood  con- 
fessed with  the  bright  light  of  a  pineknot  fire  shining 
full  upon  us. 

"  They've  got  him,  by ,"  shouted  one  of  the  ruf- 
fians. 

"  Then  d — n  him,  here's  his  grist,"  said  another,  and 
Horsely  fell,  shot  through  and  through  by  his  companions 
in  crime. 

All  was  confusion,  and  before  we  could  seize  them  the 
villains  made  their  escape.  We  carried  the  wounded  man 
into  the  house,  and  dispatched  Sol  for  a  doctor  and  a  Just- 
ice of  the  peace. 

Horsely,  who  knew  that  he  must  die.  raved,  prayed,  and 
cursed  alternately.  The  doctor  who,  with  the  Justice, 


A   SUDDEN   PULL   UP.  311 

arrived  within  an  hour,  pronounced  the  wound  mortal ;  but 
said  the  patient  might  linger  days,  yet  we  thought  it  better 
to  take  his  deposition  immediately. 

Animated  with  feelings  of  revenge  against  his  late  asso- 
ciates, Horsely  made  a  full  confession,  and  informed  me 
where  I  should  find  the  much  desired  papers.  Having  done 
all  in  our  power  for  the  doomed  man,  we  left  him  with  the 
sheriff,  the  doctor,  and  Sol. 

In  three  days  we  were  in  Houston,  where  concealed 
beneath  the  floor  of  Horsely's  house,  in  a  small  box,  we 
found  the  important  documents. 

The  breaking  up  of  the  clan,  which  resulted  from  Horse- 
ly 's  confessions,  the  flight  of  the  claimants,  and  the  refusal 
of  the  counsel  to  proceed  with  their  suits,  made  the  game 
an  easy  one  upon  our  side. 

And  now,  having  run  out  one  thread  of  adventure,  I  am 
fearful  of  drawing  another  from  the  tangled  skein  until  I 
may  discover  whether  the  texture  that  I  have  woven,  suits 
the  market  or  not. 


LYNCH   LAW. 


LYNCH  LAW, 

CHAPTER  I. 

THE  PIONEER  ;   REGULATORS  AND   MODERATORS. 

"  WHOSO  sheddeth  the  blood  of  man,  by  man  shall  his  blood  be 
shed,''  is  a  doctrine  derived  from  that  authority,  which  is 
the  acknowledged  foundation  and  corner-stone  of  all  law 
among  Christian  and  God-acknowledging  nations. 

But  is  there  no  modification  ?  There  is.  The  spirit  of 
a  law  must  be  regarded  in  preference  to  its  letter,  and  the 
spirit  of  this  law,  emanating  directly  from  God,  and 
endorsed  almost  universally  by  man,  is  against  murder — 
cold-blooded,  deliberate  murder. 

In  the  anticipated  fate  of  the  criminal,  sickly  sentimen- 
talists lose  sight  of  the  crime,  and  the  day  has  not  yet 
passed  when  women,  who  would  appear  to  much  better 
advantage  in  their  legitimate  sphere,  darning  their  hus- 
bands' stockings,  or  preparing  the  family  dinner,  throng 
the  courtrooms,  shed  tears  of  false  pity,  call  meetings,  cir- 
culate petitions,  and,  more"  ridiculous  and  disgraceful  still, 
send  notes  of  sympathy,  encouragement,  and  condolence, 
perhaps  even  a  bouquet,  to  felons,  provided  always  their 
crime  be  of  sufficient  magnitude  to  merit  such  distinction. 

They  have  set  up,  as  an  axiom  and  a  text,  that  the  worst 


316   THE  PIOXEER  :  REGULATORS  AND  MODERATORS. 

use  you  can  put  a  man  to  is  to  hang  him.  I  do  not  know 
about  this.  To  turn  a  man  in  form,  but  tiger  in  heart  and 
habit,  loose  upon  the  world,  is  rather  worse  than  to  mete 
out  to  him  the  punishment  which  he  has  deservedly  merited, 
according  to  my  mode  of  thinking. 

Shut  him  up  in  a  penitentiary  ?  and  for  what  purpose  ? 
To  remain  there  one,  two,  or  three  years  ;  then  to  be  used 
as  a  political  engine  by  some  time-serving  Governor,  who, 
to  secure  a  score  of  votes,  would  turn  the  tiger  free,  to 
glut  him  with  fresh  spoil,  not  improved  in  feeling  or  cha- 
racter, by  his  association  with  those  like  himself,  but 
emerging  again  among  men,  no  longer  his  fellows,  with 
embittered  feelings  of  hatred  and  revenge  towards  the 
whole  human  race. 

When  you  can  build  prison  walls  so  high  that  no  crimi- 
nal may  scale  them,  enact  laws  so  stringent  that  no  minion 
of  office  can  trample  them  under  foot,  for  his  own,  or  his 
party's  advantage,  find  jailors  so  honest  that  gold  cannot 
corrupt,  or  sympathy  and  pity  tempt,  and  formed,  too,  of 
such  stern  stuff  as  to  exempt  them  from  danger  in  the 
attack  of  an  infuriate  demon  ;  then,  and  not  till  then, 
abolish,  in  toto,  capital  punishment. 

We  hear  much  of  circumstantial  evidence,  of  the  suffer- 
ing of  the  innocent,  and  the  escape  of  the  guilty  ;  but  not 
one  iota  of  truth  exists  in  one  case  of  one  hundred. 
Every4dle  tale  of  a  penny-a-liner,  every  silly  coinage  of 
the  novelist's  brain,  is  picked  up,  announced  as  startling 
evidence,  made  capital  of,  and  treated  as  if  it  were  as  true 
as  the  Holy  Writ.  The  fault  exists— for  fault  there  doubt- 
less is,  and  not  so  much  in  the  punishment  of  the  innocent, 
as  the  acquittal  of  the  guilty — in  our  laws,  in  too  hasty 
1ecisions,  in  bringing  men  to  trial  before  proper  evidence 


THE   FOUR   CLASSES.  317 

is  procured,  or  the  case  correctly  understood  ;  and  in  dis- 
charging them— judge  and  jury  knowing  them  to  be  guilty 
— because  sufficient  testimony  cannot  be  obtained  to  satisfy 
the  technical  scruples  of  the  law. 

To  proceed  with  my  subject ;  the  first  step  is  to  endea- 
vor to  impress  upon  the  reader's  mind,  as  well  as  I  may, 
the  condition  of  the  inhabitants  of  a  newly-settled  Terri- 
tory or  State. 

These,  I  think,  may  be  properly  divided  into  four  classes. 
First,  the  hunter  and  trapper,  far,  very  far,  in  advance  of 
civilization ;  mixing  with  the  Indian,  and,  frequently, 
without  anything  like  a  regular  home  or  shelter.  To 
these,  we  might  perhaps  add  the  Indian  traders,  and  then 
the  class  would  be  numerically  so  small,  as  scarcely  to  be 
worthy  our  present  consideration. 

The  second  class  comprises  the  backwoodsman, — the  true 
pioneer, — always  to  be  found  upon  the  very  verge  of  civi- 
lization, forming,  as  it  were,  a  living  wall  of  defence  and 
protection  between  the  settlers  and  the  tribes  of  Indians. 

Class  the  third  embraces  those  residing  in,  and  thinly 
scattered  over  the  outer  ring  of  the  settlements,  usually 
cultivating  their  own  land,  generally  small  planters,  or 
stock-raisers,  and  composed  of  very  heterogeneous  mate- 
rials ;  honest  men,  tempted  there  by  the  love  of  a  new 
country,  or  a  desire  to  purchase  land  cheaply,  and,  among 
them,  outlaws,  desperadoes,  and  rogues  of  all  degrees.  It 
is  among  the  third  class,  that  the  so-called  Lynch  Law  is 
of  more  frequent  occurrence. 

The  fourth  class  embraces  the  inhabitants  of  the  more 
densely  populated  portions  ;  of  the  towns,  &c. 

Of  the  first  class  I  have  little  to  say  ;  living  entirely 
beyond  the  reach  of  the  arm  of  the  law,  they  soon  become 


318       THE   PIONEER  :   REGULATORS   AND   MODERATORS. 

almost  Indian  in  their  habits  and  feelings,  but  are  upon  the 
whole,  a  most  useful  class  of  men  in  a  new  country  ;  serv- 
ing as  they  do,  for  spies,  guides,  and  soldiers,  of  incalcula- 
ble value,  in  case  of  troubles  upon  the  frontier,  which  alone 
drive  these  men,  in  a  body,  back  upon  the  settlements. 

The  backwoodsman  is  a  character  little  known  among 
us.  Kude  is  he  in  manner,  language,  and  dress  ;  avoiding 
the  settlements  and  busy  haunts  of  men  ;  when  he  finds  the 
tide  of  emigration  setting  in  around  him,  he  evades  its 
first  rippling  waves,  by  plunging  deeper  and  deeper  into 
the  forest.  Now,  what  may  be  the  cause  of  this?  It 
cannot  be  crime  that  drives  him  from  his  fellows,  for  crime 
and  a  bad  conscience  compel  the  miserable  wretch  to  seek 
relief  from  reflection,  in  the  society  of  men  like  himself.  It 
is  a  far  different  cause, — or,  rather,  combination  of  causes, 
— that  produces  this  result.  Many  a  frontier-man,  rough 
and  rude  as  he  may  seem,  yet  bears  within  his  bosom  the 
germ  of  true  romance  and  poetry.  He  seeks  a  retirement 
where  he  can  enjoy  Nature  and  a  simple  life,  uninterrupted 
by  the  noise,  disputes,  and,  worse  than  all,  the,  to  him, 
hateful  conventionalities  of  his  fellows.  In  his  mode  of 
life  is  a  wild  but  lofty  spirit  of  independence,  which,  once 
tasted,  can  never  be  forgotten,  and,  indeed,  it  would  seem 
that  all  men  are  prone  to  retrograde  from  what  we  call 
"  civilization." 

The  conventionalities  of  the  world  are  so  many  chains 
and  fetters  to  the  free  spirit,  which  necessity  has  thrown 
over,  and  bound  round,  those  who  compose  what  is  termed 
society.  As  a  proof  of  this,  you  will  seldom  find  a  per- 
son, who,  either  of  his  own  free  will,  or  from  stern  neces- 
sity, has  passed  sufficient  time  among  the  woods  and 
wilds,  to  properly  accustom  himself  to,  and  appreciate 


THE   PIONEER.  319 

them,  that  is  ever  willing  to  return  to  the  crowded  city, 
and  busy  haunts  of  men,  whatever  may  have  been  his  pre- 
vious station,  or  rank,  in  the  walks  of  life. 

Those  hosts  of  adventurers  who  rush  to  our  new  states, 
seeking  fortune  or  fame,  belong  not  to  this  class.  Their 
wishes  can  only  be  obtained  among  crowds  ;  they  but  has- 
ten to  anticipate  their  arrival,  and  obtain  an  early  and 
sure  foothold.  Their  approach  heralds  invariably  the 
departure  of  the  pioneer. 

The  desire  to  be  alone,  amounts  with  him  in  fact  almost 
to  monomania  ;  although  the  traveller,  whom  chance,  curi- 
osity, or  misfortune  may  have  thrown  in  his  way,  is  wel- 
comed to  his  hut  with  unostentatious,  but  genuine  hospi- 
tality and  kindness.  He  is  glad  to  see  a  stranger,  to 
glean  from  him  news  of  the  busy  world  without,  and  here 
he  feels  that  he  cannot  have  a  superior. 

Perhaps,  after  all,  the  "  aut  Casar,  aut  nullus"  may  be  at 
the  bottom  of  his  idiosyncrasy. 

The  most  eminent  divine,  the  shrewdest  merchant,  the 
most  subtle  advocate,  would  soon  learn  that  the  talent, 
scholarship,  or  capacity  for  business,  which  gave  him 
name,  consequence,  and  wealth  among  the  multitude,  was 
but  a  useless  bauble  there,  and  if  he  were  wise,  would 
hide  it,  like  honest  Crusoe's  lump  of  gold,  until  circum- 
stances again  might  place  him  in  such  a  situation  as  to 
render  it  valuable.  Soon  would  he  learn  to  look  upon 
the  man,  as  being  at  least  his  equal,  who,  without  chart 
or  compass,  can  steer  his  undeviating  course  through  the 
trackless  forest  and  over  the  boundless  prairie ;  who, 
with  his  never  failing  rifle,  supplies  his  family  with  food  ; 
who,  without  aid  of  tailor,  hatter,  or  shoemaker,  prepares 
his  own  rude  and  simple  but  appropriate  dress ;  who, 


320       THE   PIONEER  :    REGULATORS   AND    MODERATORS. 

hourly  accustomed  to  danger,  looks  upon  it  not  as  a 
cause  for  fear,  but  for  immediate  and  skilful  action. 

They  would  soon  learn  to  respect  him,  whose  sole  depen- 
dence is  upon  himself  and  his  Maker,  looking  not  to  man 
for  assistance  and  advice,  but  trusting  in  a  cool  and  cor- 
rect judgment,  and  arm  nerved  by  healthful  exposure  and 
toil,  and  an  eye  and  ear  almost  as  true  as  those  highly^ 
gifted  individuals  in  the  fairy  tale. 

This  class  of  men  forms  a  western  barrier  more  firm, 
more  efficient,  and  more  to  be  depended  upon,  than  the 
boasted  wooden  walls  of  England.  They  are  increasing 
every  day,  and  will  continue  to  increase,  until  the  tide  of 
civilization  shall  have  overwhelmed  all  the  vast  West 
in  its  ever  advancing  wave,  and  then,  as  others  have 
already  done,  they  will  spread  to  the  North  and  to  the 
South,  to  prepare  new  ground  for  the  multitude,  to  con- 
quer new  territory,  and  again  to  leave,  until  driven  to  the 
extreme  verge,  they  are  finally  engulphed  by  their  remorse- 
less and  insatiate  adversary. 

As  the  Indian  retreats,  step  by  step,  in  his  very  foot- 
prints follows  the  pioneer,  who,  in  his  turn,  is  forced  ever 
onward  by  those  with  whom  he  has  less  community  of 
feeling  than  with  the  Indian  himself.  It  is  the  chase  of 
human  waves  upon  the  sands  of  life. 

Among  the  pioneers,  the  outlaw  is  seldom  found,  and  if 
he  should  venture,  he  must  mend  his  manner?,  or  meet 
with  short  grace  and  a  sure  rifle  ball ;  for  much  as  the 
wild  woodsman  despises  the  law  and  its  emissaries,  the 
hatred  of  its  constraints  bears  no  comparison  to  the  intense 
disgust  with  which  he  regards  crime.  Theft  is  with  him  a 
sin  of  magnitude,  and  murder  is  punished  according  to  the 
Indians'  code. 


LAW   A   DEAD   LETTER.  321 

As  I  have  before  said,  the  necessity  of  inflicting  speedy 
punishment  upon  the  guilty,  exists  more  particularly 
among  the  thinly  scattered  settlers  and  planters  inhabit- 
ing the  frontier  counties  of  a  new  state. 

The  reader  will,  perhaps,  think  that  I  am  taking  an 
unwarrantable  liberty  with  my  subject,  in  creating  a  dis- 
tinction between  the  operations  of  regulators,  and  the 
results  of  proceedings  in  criminal  cases,  in  which  the 
entire  population  of  a  section  or-  district  take  part ;  but  I 
crave  his  patience  until  he  shall  have  heard  my  reason  for 
establishing  this  distinction. 

In  border  counties,  where  there  are  no  jails  within 
whose  limits  criminals  can  be  confined,  what  shall  be  done 
with  them  ? 

Desperadoes,  and  villains  of  every  degree,  in  the  South 
West  are  far  from  solitary  in  their  habits,  but  will  be 
generally  found  connected  with  a  host  of  others,  ready  to 
assist  them  in  any  infamous  project,  or  to  shield  them  from 
the  consequences,  and  to  interpose  between  them  and  the 
arm  of  the  law. 

Where  there  are  sufficient  numbers  of  such  outlaws  in  a 
county,  they  will  seldom  shrink  from  a  trial.  Never,  in 
fact,  unless  the  crime  be  one  of  so  heinous  a  nature,  and 
so  certain  to  be  established  against  them,  that  they  fear 
the  personal  interference  of  the  people,  in  case  the  law 
should  fail — as  it  almost  invariably  does — to  fasten  the 
guilt  and  inflict  the  punishment  upon  them. 

They  may  completely  set  the  law  of  the  land  at  defiance. 
Witnesses  will  be  found  to  prove  anything  required  in 
favor  of  the  prisoner,  and  against  the  testimony  for  the 
prosecution  ;  juries  will  be  packed,  officers  bribed,  the  lit- 
tle county  town  filled  with  noted  desperadoes  from  far 
14* 


322     THE  PIONEER:  EEGULATORS  AND  MODERATORS. 

and  near,  usually,  perhaps  without  any  apparent  organi- 
zation ;  but  their  presence  is  felt,  and  their  purpose  well 
understood. 

Juries,  witnesses,  and  lawyers,  are  too  often  overawed  ; 
and  in  the  law  there  is  no  remedy  ;  on  the  contrary,  too 
often  it  is  a  very  protection  to  the  criminal. 

There  is  no  possibility  of  improvement,  for  the  moment 
the  clan  have  obtained  and  exhibited  a  supremacy  in  any 
county,  from  that  instant  they  will  increase  in  num- 
bers and  in  boldness,  until  it  is  certain  death  to  any  who 
may  attempt  to  prosecute  them,  or  even  mention  their  mis- 
deeds. 

Then,  every  honest  man  must  either  submit  patiently, 
and  without  complaint,  to  their  aggressions,  receive  with 
the  appearance  of  warm  hospitality,  greet  with  the  sem- 
blance of  friendship,  welcome  to  his  cabin,  his  table,  and 
to  the  society  of  his  wife,  his  daughters,  and  his  sons,  men 
whose  hand  he  knows  to  be  stained  with  blood  ;  or  he 
must  sell  out  his  homestead,  at  whatever  sacrifice,  and 
move  far  away. 

To  obviate  this,  the  only  practicable  mode  is,  upon  the 
first  appearance  of  crime  of  sufficient  magnitude,  that  the 
whole  body  of  settlers  near  should  rise,  arrest  the  crimi- 
nal, try  him  impartially  and  justly,  then  mete  out  to  him 
such  punishment  as  their  own  common  sense  and  correct 
ideas  of  right  and  wrong  may  dictate. 

For  murder,  the  punishment  is  invariably  death  ;  for 
other  offences,  usually  an  order  to  quit  the  county  for 
ever.  In  such  cases,  assistance  is  frequently  extended  to 
the  family  of  the  culprits,  in  the  disposition  of  their 
farms,  and  in  the  moving  of  their  household  goods  and 
oattle, 


REGULATING   A   COUNTY.  323 

Which  of  the  two  is  the  wiser  course  ?  By  a  single  act 
of  justice — when  law  cannot  be  depended  on — to  free  the 
country  for  ever  from  the  danger  of  becoming  a  den  of 
thieves  and  murderers,  or  by  tamely  submitting,  to  allow 
the  villains  to  obtain  such  a  foothold  that,  in  the  end,  the 
honest  portion  of  the  community  are  forced^to  call  upon 
the  adjoining  counties  for  assistance,  and  the  power  of  the 
law  is  only  restored  and  asserted  after  a  bloody  and  pro- 
tracted battle. 

The  system  of  "  regulators,"  and  their  ever  concomitant 
opponents,  the  "  moderators,"  WILL  NOT  DO,  and  as  soon  as 
two  regularly  organized  parties  are  found  to  exist,  it  is  the 
part  of  every  wise  man — who  has  due  regard  for  his  life 
and  peace — to  move,  at  any  sacrifice. 

So  often  has  the  plan  of  "  regulating"  a  county  been 
tried,  and  so  fatal  have  invariably  been  the  results,  that 
the  very  name  of  "  regulation  "  has  come  to  be  considered 
as  one  synonymous  with  that  of  murder  and  robbery. 

Perhaps,  in  most  instances,  the  first  intention  was  a  cor- 
rect one ;  but  when  a  few  men  are  banded  together  with 
the  intention  of  controlling  many — of  administering  jus- 
tice to,  and  inflicting  punishments  upon,  their  fellows, 
according  to  a  code  they  themselves  have  laid  down,  and 
this  without  the  slightest  semblance  of  legal  authority, 
abuses  do  not  creep,  but  walk  boldly  and  bodily  into  their 
system. 

It  is  not  the  action  of  an  entire  section  of  the  settlers, 
who,  incited  by  the  commission  of  some  heinous  crime, 
or  aggravated  by  the  perpetration  of  numerous  petty 
offences,  rise  with  one  feeling,  and  as  one  man,  punish  the 
offender. 

The  true  history  of  the  "  rise  and  progress "  of  all 


324       THE   PIONEER  :    REGULATORS   AND   MODERATORS. 

"regulating"  and  "moderating"  may  be  given  in  a  few 
words. 

A  few  influential  and  determined  men  club  together  to 
reform  a  county,  or  to  prevent  crime,  ab  initio.  Too  often 
their  proceedings  are  in  secret,  and  the  punishment  which 
has  been  decreed  to  the  offender,  is  administered  by  a 
party  in  disguise. 

Such  proceedings  must  necessarily  awaken  distrust  and 
fear,  among  the  more  quiet  of  the  settlers  ;  while  the 
rogues,  whose  characters  are  not  yet  known,  hasten  to 
obtain  admittance  to  the  corps  of  regulators,  both  as  a 
shield  against  enemies,  and  a  cloak  to  cover  their  own 
misdeeds. 

Ere  long,  the  vindictive  actions  of  the  party,  or '  the 
rascalities  of  its  members,  call  down  upon  them  the  indig- 
nation of  the  rest  of  the  county,  and  a  counter  party  is 
got  up,  nominally  to  keep  the  regulators  in  check. 

The  last  formed  parties  are  called  moderators,  and 
invariably  contain  all  the  spare  rascals  in  the  county, 
whom  the  regulators  have  not  already  received  into  their 
ranks. 

From  this  moment  a  deadly  feud  commences  between 
the  two,  and  ere  long  the  war  is  conducted  with  such 
ferocity,  that  two  persons  of  opposite  factions  seldom  meet 
— where  there  are  no  witnesses  by  to  tell  the  tale — without 
a  combat,  often  fatal  to  one  at  least. 

Some  years  since,  in  one  of  the  border  counties  of 
Texas,  the  two  factions  met  in  force.  A  regular  battle 
ensued,  in  which  forty  or  more  lives  were  lost ;  and  the 
disgraceful  affair  was  only  terminated,  and  peace  restored, 
by  marching  a  strong  force  from  San  Augustin. 

To  give  the  reader  some  idea  of  the  consequences  of  the 


THE  WIDOWS   OF  WIDOW'S   CREEK.  325 

system,  I  will  state  that  to  my  knowledge,  in  the 
county  of  Harrison,  in  Texas,  is  a  small  stream,  or 
bayou,  known  as  "  Widow's  Creek,"  and  upon  its  side, 
within  a  distance  of  five  miles,  are  living— or  at  least 
were  a  year  or  two  since — twenty-five  widows  whose 
husbands  were  all  slain  in  this  unnatural  warfare ;  and 
that  upon  the  plantation  of  a  gentleman  of  my  acquaint- 
ance— in  the  same  county — are  the  graves  of  five  former 
occupants  of  the  land,  who  all  have  perished  with  ball  or 
knife. 

Marshall  is  the  shire  town  of  the  county,  and  it  would 
strike  a  member  of  the  Peace  Congress  with  amazement, 
could  he  but  see  the  appearance  of  the  men  who  visit  it 
upon  a  public  day,  armed  as  they  are  verily  to  the  teeth. 
I  remember  a  peaceable-looking,  old,  grey-headed  person- 
age, riding  in,  one  fine  morning,  with  no  implements  of 
war  visible,  except  a  double-barrel  and  a  bowie-knife,  and 
the  loungers  remarked  that  he  was  rather  poorly  provided 
for,  and  "  wouldn't  stand  more  than  half  a  chance." 

The  prevalence  of  so  many  weapons  of  war,  however, 
produces  one  good  effect.  When  voices  are  raised  in  anger, 
and  knife  and  pistol  flash  in  the  sun,  the  hangers  on  about 
town  do  not  run  to  sec,  but,  according  to  their  vernacular, 
"  tree"  in  the  first  store  or  "  grocery"  convenient. 

Our  immortal  first  Grandmother — of  the  inquiring  mind 
— might  here  have  learned  a  lesson  that  would  have  kept  . 
her  from  the  discovery  that  apples  did  not  agree  with 
pairs. 

At  Montgomery's  Point  in  1841,  the  "  Kegulators  "  and 
"  Moderators  "  wound  up  their  affairs  by  the  driving  of 
sixty  odd  persons  of  all  ages  and  both  sexes  into  the  Mis- 
sissippi. Which  was  the  conquering  and  which  the  con- 


326     THE  PIONEER:  REGULATORS  AND  MODERATORS. 

quered  party,  I  forget ;  but  it  is  a  matter  of  small  moment 
— Arcades  ambo — two  more  villanous  collections  of  black- 
legs and  assassins,  probably  could  not  be  found,  and  had 
they  performed  over  again  the  exploit  of  the  Kilkenny 
cats — leaving  nothing  but  their  tales  for  me  to  relate — it 
would  have  been  a  blessing  to  their  country. 

Having  drawn  the  distinction  between  the  so-called 
"  Regulating  "  a  county  and  the  application  of  Lynch-law 
proper,  let  us  examine  the  causes  and  effects  of  the  latter, 
as  exemplified  in  a  few  prominent  cases. 

One  of  the  earliest  instances  in  Texas,  was  in  the  case 
of  the  murder  of  an  old  man  named  Birkham  ;  but  the  tale 
has  been  elsewhere  told  in  this  volume,  and  I  only  allude 
to  it,  as  a  very  speedy  and  just  administration  of  back- 
woods law.  I  have  told  the  tale  as  it  was  told  to  me — 
almost  verbatim — and  can  vouch  for  its  authenticity. 


CHAPTER  II. 

GAMBLERS   AND    DESPERADOES. 

I  SHALL  now  relate  an  event  which  occurred  in  

county,  Texas,  whether  an  use  or  an  abuse  of  Lynch  Law,  I 
leave  for  the  reader  to  determine  ;  but,  in  order  that  he 
may  have  some  data  to  govern  his  judgment,  it  will  be 
necessary  for  him  to  understand  the  situation  of  the 
county. 

Although  populous  and  wealthy,  for  a  new  county,  it 
boasted  of  no  jail,  which,  indeed  if  it  had  possessed  one, 
would  have  been  of  but  little  service,  as  there  was  no  town 
of  sufficient  population  to  be  a  safe  location  for  it. 

That  they  had  no  jail,  was  nothing  strange,  as,  if  my 
memory  serve  me  rightly,  but  three  or  four  of  the  interior 
and  southern  counties  were  so  blessed  ;  and  but  two  of 
these,  those  at  Beaumont  and  Brazoria,  of  any  real  use. 
In  the  city  of  Houston,  was  to  be  found  one,  in  which,  if 
you  would  keep  a  prisoner,  it  was  necessary  to  weigh  him 
down  with  irons,  and  then  guard  the  house  externally  day 
and  night.  In  Galveston,  an  old  brig  which  had  made  an 
experimental  trip  in  shore,  upon -her*  own  account,  during 
a  very  high  tide,  and  resolutely  refused  to  return,  was 
pressed  into  the  service,  and  would  have  answered  remark- 
ably well,  had  she  not  been  so  completely  rotten  that  a 
man  might  kick  a  hole  through  her,  and  walk  quietly  off. 
A  prisoner  tried  the  experiment  one  night,  and  it  suc- 
ceeded to  admiration. 


328  GAMBLERS   AND    DESPERADOES. 

Until  a  year  or  two  previous  to  the  annexation  of  the 
quondam  Republic,  petty  offences  had  'been  almost  un- 
known, except  in  the  counties  bordering  upon  the  United 
States.  There,  especially  near  the  line,  were  to  be  found 
necessarily,  many  whose  crimes  had  driven  them  to  a  resi- 
dence upon  the  confines  of  two  Governments.  This  was 
particularly  the  case  with  the  upper  counties  bordering 
upon,  and  near  the  Red  River. 

The  first  mentioned  county  had,  however,  been  very  free 
from  absolute  crime,  until  a  short  period  preceding  the 
time  of  which  I  write. 

The  gamblers,  and  those,  in  especial,  of  the  most  petty 
description,  hung  around  the  county  town,  despite  the 
determination  of  Judges  and  District  Attorneys,  assisted 
by  very  stringent  laws,  to  suppress  them. 

In  fact,  perchance,  one  great  stumbling  block  in  the  path 
of  justice  was  this  very  over-severity. 

By  the  laws  then  in  existence,  it  was  a  crime,  punishable 
with  imprisonment,  or  very  heavy  fine,  to  play  at  cards 
for  amusement,  in  any  public  house,  or  in  any  house 
or  place  within  one  hundred  rods'  distance  from  the  pub- 
lic road,  and  I  believe  the  act  is  in  existence  at  this 
moment. 

Now,  the  bench  and  bar  generally  were  much  addicted 
to  this  manner  of  passing  away  an  evening,  and  however 
careful  they  might  be  in  the  indulgence  of  this  propensity, 
they  frequently  laid  themselves  liable. 

Judge  S ,  whose  proverbial  pomposity  had  earned 

him  the  sobriquet  of  "  Old  Dignity,"  one  morning  called 
upon  the  clerk  to  read  the  indictments  against  a  number 
of  gamblers,  and  heard,  to  his  perfect  amazement,  his  own 
name  included. 


THE   "COURT"   INDICTED.  329 

"What!"  exclaimed  the  astonished  official— "  what ! 
Read  that  again,  sir." 

Again  the  clerk  read  a  long  paper,  setting  forth,  in  the 
plurality  of  words  that  lawyers  so  delight  in,  how  he,  the 
said  Judge,  had  offended  against  the  majesty  of  the  Repub- 
lic, by  playing  at  cards,  <fcc.,  <fec. 

The  Judge  thought  a  moment,  and  then  exclaimed : 
"  How,  sir !  cannot  the  '  Court'  amuse  himself  in  the 
'  Court's'  own  room,  with  the  '  Court's'  own  wife  ?"  In  a 
rage  he  adjourned  the  court. 

The  fact  was,  that  the  Judge  had  simply  been  playing  a 

quiet  game  of  "euker"  with  Mrs.  S ,  suspecting  no 

harm ;  and  some  mischievous  individual,  by  peeping 
through  the  crevices  of  his  log  castle,  had  witnessed  the 
transgression,  and  presented  him  before  the  grand  jury. 

This  last  affair  amused  everybody  in  the  county  almost 
as  much  as  it  did  the  faro-players.  The  Judge  had 
honestly  earned  the  sobriquet  of  "  Old  Dignity"  by  his 
extreme  pomposity.  He  spoke  of  himself  upon  all  possible 
occasions  as  "  the  Court."  One  day,  passing  along  the 
main  street  in  Houston,  a  mule  that  had  been  hitched  to 
an  awning-post,  wheeled  and  nearly  kicked  him.  The 
Judge,  apparently  furious,  gesticulated  and  shook  his  cane 
violently  at  the  offending  animal ;  and  a  wag  who  was 

passing  at  the  time,  declared  positively  that  Judge  S 

had  said,  as  he  turned  away,  "  if  that  mule  had  kicked  this 
Court,  this  Court  would  have  put  that  mule  in  jail."  This 
story,  which  obtained  an  extensive  circulation,  annoyed  the 
old  gentleman  amazingly. 

It  fared  no  better  with  his  successor,  Judge  J ,  who 

also  made  an  attempt  to  punish  those  who  set  at  naught 
the  laws,  and  his  authority,  by  gambling  publicly. 


330  GAMBLERS   AND   DESPERADOES. 

The  consequence  of  the  attempt  was,  that  the  Judge  had 
•  a  quiet  hint,  that  he,  and  nearly  every  member  of  the  bar 
— including,  I  believe,  the  States  Attorney — had  been 
presented  ;  and  he  was  forced  to  follow  the  example  of  his 
predecessor — adjourn  the  court,  and  tacitly  admit  him- 
self conquered. 

At  length  came  one,  who  had  never  yielded  to  the  fasci- 
nations of  cards,  or  acknowledged  the  blandishments  of 
the  dice-box,  who  spent  his  evenings  in  his  own  room, 
attending  to  his  own  business,  a  stern,  just,  clear-headed, 
uncompromising  man, — one  that  yielded  nothing  to  custom 
or  prejudice,  and  would  not  swerve  a  hair  from  his  line  of 
duty,  or  detain  the  court  for  half  an  hour,  because — or — or 
— the  great  guns  of  the  session — had  not  yet  slept  off  the 
fumes  of  their  over-night  draughts  :  one  that  looked  upon 
a  gambler  as  he  would  upon  a  snake,  punishing  him  to  the 
full  extent  of  the  law  ;  and  yet  the  gamblers  laughed. 

His  directions  to  the  District  Attorney,  and  to  the 
grand  jury,  were  particularly  clear,  and  very  pointed  upon 
this  subject ;  yet  the  gamblers  laughed  on. 

They  were  indicted,  yet  they  laughed — tried  and  con- 
victed— their  cachinnations  ceased  not — sentenced  to  a  fine 
of  one  thousand  dollars  each,  and  imprisonment,  until  paid, 
with  a  separate  imprisonment  beside — and  all  without 
sobering  them ;  but  when  the  Judge  very  coolly  ordered 
the  sheriff  to  make  it  his  particular  business  to  see  that 
they  were  well  guarded,  until  the  close  of  the  term,  when 
he  should  send  them  with  him  to  Houston,  with  an  order 
to  admit  the  party  to  the  freedom  of  the  jail  there  ;  then, 
with  the  exception  of  an  old  fox  by  the  name  of  Williams, 
they  presented  a  decidedly  blue  and  discomfited  appear- 
ance. 


A   POLITE   INVITATION.  331 

This  Williams  was  an  original, — a  perfect  oddity, — and 
although  he  was  notoriously  lazy,  and  a  petty  gambler,  yet 
he  possessed  such  a  fund  of  wit,  drollery,  and  good  humor, 
that  many  who  scorned  him  and  his  profession,  would 
gather  around  him,  as  he  sat  in  the  porch  of  the  "  Gro- 
cery," spinning  his  quizzical  yarns,  or  amusing  himself  at 
the  expense  of  some  verdant  specimen  of  humanity. 

He  was  not  so  to  be  frightened,  but,  as  he  left  the  court, 
addressing  the  sheriff  familiarly  as  "Joe,"  requested  him 
to  inform  the  audience, — not  forgetting  the  Judge  and 
jury, — that  he  should  open  a  Faro  bank  in  whatever  place 
he  might  be  temporarily  "  hung  up,"  and  that  they  were 
respectfully  invited  to  attend. 

As  soon  as  the  session  was  terminated,  the  sheriff  pre- 
pared to  muster  a  sufficient  guard  to  convey  so  desperate  a 
set  as  his  prisoners  to  Houston,  but  Williams  offered  to 
take  charge  of  them  himself,  pledging  his  word  for  their 
and  his  own  safe  delivery,  and  although  his  proposition 
was  not  fully  accepted,  so  much  confidence  was  really 
placed  in  the  scamp's  word,  that  the  sheriff  accompanied 
them  alone. 

They  were  in  due  form  consigned  over  to  the  care  of  the 
Harris  county  jailor,  their  horses  being  deposited  in  a 
stable,  subject  to  their  order,  and  as  the  sheriff  was  leaving, 
Williams  very  quietly  inquired  if  he  had  any  commands 
for  home,  as  he  should  be  there  the  next  day. 

It  was  upon  a  Saturday  that  they  were  imprisoned  ;  and 
on  Sunday  morning,  as  the  boarders  at  the  Hotel  in 

M were  at  the  breakfast  table,  to  their  amazement 

Williams  and  his  troupe  walked  in,  and  took  their  seats, 
as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

On  being  questioned,  they  answered  that  they  did  not 


332  GAMBLERS   AND    DESPERADOES. 

think  the  people  in  Houston  were  glad  to  see  them,  and 
not  wishing  to  be  deemed  intruders,  they  concluded  to 
leave. 

They  had  ridden  sixty  miles,  and  appeared  in  no  hurry 
to  ride  any  further,  and  when  the  sheriff  arrived  that  night, 
the  first  person  who  approached,  and  shook  hands  with 
him,  was  Williams.  He  knew  that  in  delivering  him  over 
to  the  authorities  of  Harris  county,  the  sheriff's  duty  had 
been  performed  ;  that  they  would  never  trouble  themselves 
to  reclaim  their  prisoners,  whom  they  had  been  extremely 
loath  to  receive,  and  that  in  all  probability  he  should  hear 
no  more  of  it,  except  as  a  good  joke,  which  was  indeed 
the  case. 

This  jail-delivery  was,  however,  a  mere  bagatelle  in 
comparison  with  some  others,  at  least,  as  far  as  it  con- 
cerned the  well-being  of  the  public.  It  is  a  strange  and 
unaccountable  peculiarity  of  south-western  men  that,  in 
case  of  any  outrage,  they  will  risk  life  and  limb,  expend 
time  and  money  ;  in  fact,  stop  at  nothing  to  seize  the 
person  of  the  criminal ;  but  when  once  taken,  not  one  in 
twenty  would  give  himself  the  least  trouble  about  guard- 
ing the  prisoner,  and  the  chances  are  much  in  favor  of  his 
escaping. 

Perhaps,  the  excitement  of  a  human  chase  may  account 
for  the  former,  but  what  may  be  the  reason  of  the  culpable 
negligence  evinced  in  the  latter,  we  know  not. 

A  man,  by  the  name  of  D ,  had  committed  a  cold- 
blooded murder  upon  his  son-in-law,  under  circumstances 
of  unparalleled  atrocity. 

The  unfortunate  man  was  shot  down,  while  he  held  in 
his  arms  an  infant, — his  own  child, — and  the  grandchild 
of  the  murderer. 


A   SLIPPERY   CUSTOMER.  333 

This  affair  occurred  in  Brazoria  county,  which,  however, 

was  not  the  one  in  which  D resided,  and  no  effort 

was  made  to  punish  the  criminal — with  the  exception  of  a 
trumped-up  examination  before  a  Justice  of  the  peace,  got 
up,  in  all  probability,  to  prevent  further  proceedings. 

D returned  to  M county,  and  with  him  came 

the  wife  and  child  of  the  murdered  man. 

The  people  of  the  county,  exasperated  at  the  crime, 
were  rendered  almost  furious  at  the  audacity  of  the  fellow 
in  returning  to  settle  himself  quietly  down  among  them, 
bringing  with  him  the  spolia  opima,  for  which  the  murder 

had  been  committed  ;  for  L (the  victim)  was  possessed 

of  a  handsome  property,  consisting  of  money,  cattle,  and, 
perhaps,  a  negro  or  so — all  of  which  D had  appro- 
priated. 

The  citizens,  irritated  as  they  were,  determined  to  pro- 
ceed legally,  if  possible,  and  accordingly  obtained  affi- 
davits, upon  which  to  found  the  warrant  for  his  appre- 
hension. 

The  issuing  of  the  warrant  was  an  easy  matter — the 
serving  of  it,  another  affair.  For  two  years  they  attempted, 
sometimes  with  large  parties,  and  sometimes  with  small,  to 
arrest  him,  but  all  in  vain. 

Although  travellers  seldom  passed,  or  stopped  at  his 
house,  which  was  a  species  of  backwoods  hotel,  without 
seeing  him,  yet  however  secretly  an  expedition  might  be 
planned,  it  always  failed,  and  it  became  a  matter  of  cer- 
tainty that  there  were  spies  in  the  camp. 

For  a  time  the  proceedings  were  dropped,  and  embold- 
ened from  having  so  often  foiled  them,  D at  length 

began  to  neglect  his  quarantine,  and  to  ride  about  the 
country — laughing  at  the  repeated  failures  of  the  officers, 


334  GAMBLERS   AND   DESPERADOES. 

boasting  of  his  exploits,  and  threatening  the  lives  of  all 
those  whom  he  considered  as  his  enemies.  Finally,  as  if 
incited  by  the  devil,  who  is  said  to  be  ever  prompting  his 
clients  to  their  own  destruction,  he  had  the  audacity  not 

only  to  ride  through  the  town  of  31 on  a  Saturday 

afternoon,  when  he  must  have  known  that  three-fourths  of 
the  settlers  within  ten  miles'  distance  would  be  there,  but 
actually  dared  to  stop  at  the  "  Grocery,"  call  for  a  glass, 
and  invite  all  present  to  join  him. 

His  daring  impudence  so  astonished  the  people,  that  he 
was  allowed  to  ride  out  of  town  at  the  same  deliberate 
pace  that  he  had  entered  it.  He  was  mounted  upon  an 
extremely  fine  mare,  and  accompanied  by  a  villanous  look- 
ing personage  on  foot,  whose  cerebral  developments  would 
have  hung  him  without  any  further  testimony,  had  he  been 
tried  by  a  jury  of  phrenologists. 

Although  the  pair  had  passed  through  the  village  with- 
out interruption,  they  were  not  to  escape  so  easily.  The 
papers  necessary  for  their  legal  capture  were  already  made 
out,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  deputy  sheriff  with  one 
assistant  mounted  in  pursuit. 

They  came  upon  their  quarry  at  the  edge  of  a  wood,  a 
mile  from  town,  and  an  accident  prevented  escape  or  resist- 
ance. As  they  dashed  up  near  to  them,  the  volunteer 
became  so  much  excited  or  alarmed,  that  in  endeavoring 
to  cock  his  gun — a  double  barrel — he  pulled  both  triggers, 
a  tremendous  explosion  was  the  result,  and  he  very  nearly 
bagged  the  sheriff-depute. 

As  the  two  travellers  were  plodding  their  way  over 
deep  sand,  they  had  not  heard  the  hoofs  of  their  pursuers' 
horses,  and  the  shot  was  the  first  intimation  they  had  of 
their  propinquity.  D had  dismounted,  and  his  friend 


UNSATISFACTORY   PHYSIOGNOMY.  335 

was  riding  and  carrying  a  gun,  which  the  horse — now 
become  restive — prevented  him  from  using,  and  the  sheriff's 
rifle,  pointed  at  the  culprit's  head,  caused  an  immediate 
halt  and  surrender. 

Every  step  had  been  strictly  legal,  the  prisoner  was 
taken  before  a  magistrate,  who  ordered  him  to  be  confined, 
heavily  ironed,  and  a  guard  set  over  him,  until  the  High 
Sheriff  should  return  from  Austin,  when  he  was  to  be 'sub- 
mitted to  his  charge  and  conveyed  to  Brazoria. 

As  for  the  travelling  companion,  who  announced  his 
intention  of  "  sticking  by  the  Captain,"  one  of  the  assem- 
bled crowd  took  him  aside  and  advised  his  immediate 
departure,  on  the  ground,  that  his  physiognomy  did  not 
give  general  satisfaction,  and  that  the  account  he  gave  of 
himself  was  not  believed  to  be  gospel. 

The  gentleman  was  probably  innocent  of  any  acquaint- 
ance with  Shakspeare,  but  his  actions  proved  that  he 
acquiesced  with  Falstaff  in  his  opinion  of  the  relative 
merits  of  discretion  and  valor. 

Now,  any  reasonable  person  would  have  supposed  the 
prisoner  to  have  been  sure  of  safe  keeping  ;  and,  for  a  few 
days,  he  was.  A  physician  gave  up  his  office — a  small 
building  constructed  of  neatly  hewn  logs  and  strong  as  a 
fort, 'to  be  used  as  a  jail — a  part  of  the  chain  cable  of  some 
snagged  steamer,  was  made  fast  to  him,  independent  of  his 
handcuffs,  and  guards  were  plenty  enough  for  a  few  nights. 
But,  alas !  the  sheriff  was  absent  too  long,  and  one  night  the 
deputy  found  himself  without  a  relief  at  sapper  time  ;  so, 
stepping  out  to  seek  one,  at  a  few  paces  from  the  temporary 
jail  he  met  his  superior,  who  had  that  instant  returned. 
While  chatting  a  moment  he  heard  a  noise  that  alarmed 
him,  and  caused  him  to  retrace  his  steps  immediately.  It 


336  GAMBLERS   AND   DESPERADOES. 

was  too  late,  the  bird  had  flown — chains  and  all — through  a 
window  which  was  forced  open. 

At  this  very  moment,  a  tremendous  thunder-storm  came 
up,  but  despite  the  terrific  violence  of  the  storm,  which 
seemed  as  though  it  were  an  earnest  of  the  wrath  of  heaven 
upon  them  for  their  culpable  negligence  in  allowing  so 
great  a  crime  to  go  unpunished,  the  whole  village  was 
alarmed,  and  a  large  party  sallied  forth  in  pursuit. 

Between  midnight  and  morning,  they  all  returned,  drop- 
ping in,  one  after  the  other,  dispirited,  drenched,  and 
covered  with  mud,  but  determined  upon  renewing  the 
chase  as  soon  as  the  sun  should  lend  his  aid. 

D was  followed  the  next  day  by  men  on  horseback 

and  on  foot,  and  although  trailed  step  by  step  for  miles,  yet 
the  first  accurate  intelligence  received  from  him  was  the 
arrival  of  his  son,  who  brought  back  the  chain  cable  with 
his  father's  compliments,  and  thanks  for  their  hospitality. 

A  year  after,  the  same  villain  ran  a  very  narrow  chance 
in  Houston,  where  he  had  the  impudence  to  appear  in 
the  public  streets  enpleinjour. 

No  sooner  did  the  sheriff  know  of  his  presence,  than  he 

obtained  a  warrant  for  his  arrest,  but  D being  warned, 

mounted  his  horse,  and  started  for  home,  riding  for  his  life. 
The  roads  were  very  heavy,  and  again  a  violent  storm  arose. 
All  this,  however,  did  not  deter  the  officer — who  saw  him 
leave  ;  a  race  and  running  fight  ensued  between  the  two, 
in  which  some  shots  were  fired,  yet  although  the  parties 

were  for  a  time  neck  and  neck,  D finally  escaped  by 

dashing  into  a  thicket. 

This  man,  a  short  time  afterwards,  sold  out  his  farm  to 
two  Germans,  received  a  handsome  sum  of  money,  and  in 
a  few  months  both  of  them  died  so  mysteriously  and  sud- 


MURDERS  OF  TAYLOR  AND  FLOYD.        337 

denly,  that  there  was  but  little  question  of  foul  play  upon 
his  part,  as  he  was  at  the  time  a  joint  occupant  of  the 
house. 

He  is,  for  aught  I  know,  yet "  unwhipt  of  justice,"  unless 
he  has  met  with  that  violent  death  which  is  the  almost  cer- 
tain fate  of  such  desperadoes. 

Soon  after  these  events  occurred,  a  very  heavy  robbery 
was  committed,  the  robber  arrested,  and  confined  for  some 
months  in  a  vacant  house  in  the  village. 

In  this  instance,  the  person  who  had  been  robbed  fur- 
nished the  necessary  funds  to  hire  a  guard,  and  it  was 
thought  the  culprit  would  taste  the  thong  of  justice  ;  but 
no  :  as  soon  as  it  was  found  that  the  proof  was  positive  ; 
that  he  had  really  obtained  some  ten  or  twelve  thousand 
dollars,  and  could  pay  well  for  assistance,  he  was  spirited 
away,  and  heard  of  no  more. 

Two  great  crimes  had  also  been  committed  in  the 
county.  A  gun — probably  a  double-barrel — was  dis- 
charged through  the  window  of  a  gentleman  of  the  name 
of  Floyd,  while  the  family  were  eating  supper.  The 
father  was  instantly  killed,  and  the  others  more  or  less 
wounded.  All  attempts  to  discover  the  perpetrator  were 
useless. 

The  murder  of  a  Captain  Taylor  was  a  more  recent 
event.  While  sitting  in  an  unfinished  house,  at  night, 
playing  a  game  of  chess  with  his  wife,  in  the  act  of  mov- 
ing a  piece,  he  fell  dead,  pierced  through  the  heart  with  a 
rifle  ball ;  and  as  there  was  a  violent  storm  raging,  his 
wife  did  not  distinguish  the  crack  of  the  gun  from  a  simul- 
taneous electric  explosion. 

The  chimney  of  the  house  had  not  yet  been  finished,  and 
the  villain  fired  through  the  vacancy.  For  a  long  time, 
15 


338  GAMBLERS  AND    DESPERADOES. 

this,  like  the  former,  was  a  deed  of  mystery,  but  at  length 
a  quarrel  between  two  ruffians  in  Houston — which  resulted 
in  the  death  of  the  one,  and  capture  of  the  other — revealed 
among  deeds  of  equal  atrocity,  that  Taylor  had  been  killed 
bya  bravo,  for  a  sum  of  money. 

The  veil  that  was  thus  partly  raised,  disclosed  partially 
other  equally  fearful  secrets,  and  it  became  a  matter  of 
certainty  that  a  clan  of  villains  was  in  existence,  probably 
a  part  of  the  Murrel  gang,  who  were  engaged  in  every 
species  of  crime — from  horse-stealing  and  counterfeiting  to 
kidnapping  and  murder. 

That  the  number  of  these  desperadoes  in  M county 

was  increasing,  admitted  of  no  doubt,  and  that  such  was 
the  fact,  need  be  a  matter  of  surprise  to  none,  since  they 
found  they  were  in  very  little  danger  of  apprehension,  or 
if  apprehended,  that  they  incurred  but  small  risk  of 
punishment. 

Is  it  a  wonder  then,  when  murder,  violence,  and  crime 
were  stalking  boldly  among  them  in  open  day,  unchecked 
by  law  ;  when  the  county  was  constantly  receiving  fresh 
accessions  of  lawless  persons  from  other  counties  and 
states ;  when  everything  tended  towards  anarchy,  and 
that  right  speedily,  that  the  honest  and  well-meaning  citi- 
zens, should  at  the  next  provocation  take  into  their  hands 
the  sword  of  justice,  which  the  paralysed  arm  of  law  was 
impotent  to  wield  ? 

A  man  named  G was  tried  for  cattle-stealing  in 

Harris  county. 

Whipping  is  the  ignominious  punishment  that  attends 

conviction  of  this  crime,  and  in  hope  to  evade  it,  G • 

engaged  a  lawyer  to  defend  him ;  giving  him  his  saddle- 
horse,  as  fee. 


TAKING   ADVICE.  339 

The  case  was  evidently  going  against  the  accused,  and 
the  lawyer  whispered  to  him  to  get  out  of  the  room,  upon 
any  excuse,  and  when  once  fairly  in  the  street,  to  run  for 
life. 

The  advice  was  taken,  and  G accompanied  by  an 

officer,  left  the  room,  but  seeing  the  horse  which  he  had 
given  the  lawyer,  saddled  and  bridled,  standing  before  the 
door,  he  leaped  upon  his  back,  and  was  soon  beyond  dan- 
ger of  pursuit. 

For  a  year  or  two  after  this  exploit,  he  was  not  heard 

from,  but  at  length  became  bold  enough  to  visit  M and 

remain  for  some  time. 

Unfortunately  for  him,  he  inspired  many  of  the  residents 
with  dislike,  and  when  they  discovered  who  he  truly  was, 
some  of  them — out  of  pure  mischief,  rather  than  a  desire 
to  further  the  ends  of  justice — had  him  arrested  and  taken 
to  Houston,  where  the  ignominious  lash  was  applied  to  his 
back. 

He  then  again  returned  to  M burning  with  resent- 
ment, and  swearing  vengeance  against  all  who  had  been 
concerned  in  his  arrest,  but  soon  found  the  town  too  hot 
to  hold  him,  and  was  accordingly  upon  the  eve  of  retreat- 
ing further  north,  when  his  horse  was  attached  by  the 
sheriff,  for  debt. 

At    the    time    the  warrant  was    served,  G was 

mounted  upon  the  animal — a  fine  and  valuable  beast — and 
refused  to  surrender  him.  An  altercation  ensued ;  whe- 
ther he  then  drew  a  weapon  or  not  I  do  not  know,  but  it 
was  proved  that  the  sheriff  seized  a  rail  and  forced  him 
off  the  horse. 

The  moment  G touched  the  ground,  he  drew  a  pis- 
tol and  shot  the  officer  down.  He  was  seized  immediately, 


340  GAMBLERS   AND   DESPERADOES. 

and  taken  to  the  court-house  to  await  an  examination  of 
the  sheriff's  wound. 

The  physicians  pronounced  it  to  be  certainly  mortal ; 
although  they  said  the  unfortunate  man  might  linger  in 
agony  for  days  or  weeks. 

As  soon  as  this  was  announced  to  the  crowd,  measures 
were  taken  for  assembling  all  the  settlers  living  near  ;  a 
judge  and  jury  were. chosen,  and  the  man,  after  a  trial 
— which  must  be  accounted  fair,  if  any  trial  under  such 
circumstances  can  be  fair — was  found  guilty — of  what  we 
know  not,  for  murder  it  was  not  yet — and  condemned  to 
die  upon  the  gallows,  as  soon  as  his  victim  died. 

For  over  a  month  did  the  sheriff  linger,  writhing  in  tor- 
ture, but  we  much  question  if  the  mental  agony  of  the  con- 
demned culprit  was  not  infinitely  the  more  difficult  of  the 
two  to  bear. 

He  knew  that  the  sentence  was  predicated  upon  the  sup- 
posed impending  death  of  his  victim,  and  as  he  lived  on 
from  day  to  day,  the  hope  of  an  ultimate  recovery  must  at 
times  have  forced  itself  upon  him,  only  to  make  his  calmer 
thoughts  the  more  bitter. 

The  hour  arrived  at  last :  the  officer  died  during  the 
night,  and  as  it  was  necessary  to  bury  him  as  soon 
as  possible,  that  duty  was  performed  upon  the  next  after- 
noon. 

As  it  may  well  be  supposed,  there  was  a  very  large 
gathering  at  the  funeral,  and  the  whole  number  present 
proceeded  directly  from  the  grave  to  the  house  where  the 
prisoner  was  confined,  and  taking  him  a  short  distance, 
executed  him. 

This,  perhaps,  under  other  circumstances  than  those 
that  preceded  it,  might  have  excited  as  much  indignation 


LEM  M'GUIRE.  341 

as  did  the  execution  of  the  "  Vicksburg  gamblers  " — of 
which  I  shall  hereafter  speak.  It  may  be  said  that  the 
crime  was  but  manslaughter ;  yet  let  no  one  judge  the 
actors  harshly,  who  does  not  know  from  experience,  the 
danger  of  living  in  a  county  situated  as  this  was,  and  can- 
not realize  the  imperative  necessity  that  existed  of  check- 
ing the  tide  of  crime  and  vice,  setting  in  so  strong  among 
them,  by  the  prompt  and  immediate  punishment  of  any 
and  every  wilful  transgressor. 

The  case  which  I  am  about  to  record,  has  probably 
never  been  equalled  in  the  singularity  of  its  attendant  cir- 
cumstances. The  merited  punishment — the  atrocity  of  the 
crime,  and  noted  Tillanous  character  of  the  criminal — the 
attempt  to  force  a  trial  to  serve  him  as  a  cloak,  which  but 
renewed  the  fable  of  Hercules  and  his  fated  lion-skin,  the 
fact  that  he  received  his  reward  from  the  hands  of  an  offi- 
cer of  justice  and,  as  it  might  almost  be  said,  in  open  court 
— all  combined  to  invest  it  with  a  singular  and  romantic 
interest. 

"  Lem  M'Guire "  was  known  throughout  Texas  as  a 
thorough-paced  villain  and  blackleg.  Accustomed  from 
infancy  to  the  most  infamous  companions,  as  he  increased 
in  years  so  did  he  grow  old  in  crime,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty  was  deemed  by  his  companions,  worthy  of  the  front 
rank  in  their  columns. 

One  of  the  first  acts  that  made  his  name  well-known, 
was  his  participation — while  yet  a  mere  child — in  an 
affray  in  which  a  friend  and  protector  of  his  was  shot — 
and  most  deservedly — by  a  tavern-keeper,  upon  whom  he 
had  made  a  murderous  attack. 

M'Guire  fought  like  a  young  tiger — as  he  was — clinging 
to  the  landlord  with  his  hands  and  teeth,  and  though  cry- 


342  GAMBLERS   AND    DESPERADOES. 

ing  with  rage  and  grief  at  the  death  of  his  patron,  seemed 
perfectly  regardless  of  the  danger  to  himself. 

I  have  no  intention  of  writing  the  history  of  his  career, 
but  shall  merely  note  an  incident  or  two  to  give  our 
readers  an  idea  of  the  man. 

He  had  been  brought  up  by  a  man  of  his  own  kind, 
named  Johnson,  who  furnished  him  with  a  home — such  as 
it  was — until  by  his  practices  the  latter  had  become  pos- 
sessed of  sufficient  property  to  awaken  M'Guire's  cupidity, 
and  a  determination  to  become  possessed  of  it  by  foul 
means,  as  he  could  not  by  fair  ones. 

He  accordingly  laid  his  plans,  and  caused  Johnson  to 
become  involved  in  a  quarrel,  in  which  his  life  was  taken, 
at  the  instigation  of  the  serpent  he  had  nourished,  who 
immediately  after  married  the  widow — a  woman  twice  his 
age — and  thus  accomplished  his  designs. 

A  few  months  before  his  death,  he  paid  a  very  charac- 
teristic visit  to  Houston,  where  he  succeeded  as  usual  in 
bringing  himself  into  speedy  notice.  Entering  one  of  the 
bar-rooms  of  the  place  in  a  state  of  semi-intoxication,  and 
taking  offence  at  a  simple  German  who  presided  over  the 
bottles,  and  whose  imperfect  knowledge  of  the  language 
prevented  him  from  understanding  correctly  what  was 
required,  M'Guire  struck  him  in  the  face  with  a  heavy  cut- 
glass  decanter,  breaking  it  in  the  act,  an-d  severely  injur- 
ing the  man. 

Among  the  crowd  which  collected,  M'Guire  espied  a 
Judge  of  one  of  the  courts,  and  turning  upon  him,  imme- 
diately knocked  him  down  ;  then  crossing  the  street  whore 
stood  the  Mayor,  "  spectator  of  the  fight" — as  he  supposed 
at  a  safe  distance — the  gentleman  prostrated  him  also  at  a 
blow. 


THE  BRAVO.  343 

He  then  retreated,  walking  up  the  main  street  of  the 
town  in  triumph,  and  no  more  was  seen  of  him—although 
warrants  were  issued  for  his  apprehension — until  the 
second  day  ;  when  he  rode  down  the  street,  stopped  his 
horse  at  the  scene  of  his  late  disturbance,  and  calling  out 
the  proprietor,  told  him  he  had  travelled  some  distance 
out  of  his  way  to  bid  him  good  bye  ;  and  then  rode  out  of 
town. 

At  this  time  he  resided  not  far  from  the  town  of 
Crocket,  and  soon  after  his  return  from  his  Houston 
exploit,  he  determined,  for  reasons  of  his  own, — whether 
from  enmity,  to  remove  a  troublesome  witness,  or  a  part- 
ner in  crime,  I  know  not, — to  have  one  of  his  neighbors 
"  put  out  of  the  way." 

Not  being  willing  to  take  the  trouble  himself,  he  hired 
another,  a  journeyman  at  the  trade  of  blood,  to  do  the 
business  for  him.  For  some  time,  the  bravo  deferred  the 
murder,  until  at  length  M'Guire  imagined  that  he  had 
turned  traitor,  and  betrayed  his  designs  to  his  enemy  ; 
which  belief  was  strengthened  by  the  ultimate  refusal  of 
the  man  to  have  anything  to  do  with  it. 

So  far,  M'Guire  had  only  gained  the  necessity  of  remov- 
ing two  persons  in  place  of  one  ;  and,  perhaps  agree- 
ing with  Dr.  Franklin's  adage,  "  if  you  wish  a  thing  done, 
go  ;  if  you  do  not,  send;"  determined  this  time  to  do  his 
own  work. 

To  murder  his  accomplice,  he  had  a  double  motive,  fear 
and  revenge.  Having  secured  the  aid  of  one  or  more  per- 
sons upon  whom  he  could  depend,  he  rode  over  to  the 
house  of  the  supposed  traitor,  and  calling  him  out  into  the 
yard,  in  front  of  the  house,  in  full  sight  of  his  wife  and 
family,  shot  him  down  like  a  dog  j  then  the  party  turned 


344  GAMBLERS   AND   DESPEEADOES. 

their  horses  towards  the  house  of  the  one  whom  he  had 
marked  before  for  his  victim,  and  killed  him  in  precisely 
the  same  manner. 

All  this  happened  in  broad  daylight,  nor  did  his  auda- 
city cease  here,  but  knowing  that  a  magistrate  lived 
near  by,  the  party  again  mounted  and  rode  to  his  planta- 
tion. 

M'Guire  was  probably  deceived  in  the  man,  whom  he 
must  either  have  supposed  to  have  been  a  reckless  being 
like  himself,  or  one  who  might  be  influenced  by  fear  or 
money,  to  subserve  his  ends. 

The  magistrate  was  very  coolly  informed  that  they 
came  to  be  tried,  that  he  must  go  through  some  form,  no 
matter  what,  and  give  them  a  certificate  of  acquittal, 
which,  although  the  magistrate's  court  was  only  a  preli- 
minary one,  they  imagined,  combined  with  the  known  and 
certain  danger  of  meddling  with  them,  would  be  sufficient 
to  prevent  any  further  inquiry. 

As  the  reader  may  well  imagine,  the  magistrate,  who 
was  almost  alone  in  the  house,  was  extremely  alarmed, 
but  had  presence  of  mind  to  conceal  his  feelings,  and 
put  the  villains  off,  upon  the  plea  that  it  was  necessary 
to  have  some  other  persons  present,  and  also  to  pre- 
pare certain  papers,  which  could  not  be  done  at  a 
moment's  notice.  It  was  Saturday,  and  he  promised 
them,  that  if  they  returned  on  Monday  morning,  he 
would  have  everything  fixed  for  them — which  he  cer- 
tainly did. 

On  Monday,  M'Guire  appeared,  with  a  reinforcement, 
making  in  all  five  or  six,  and  found  the  magistrate  sit- 
ting at  the  further  end  of  the  hall.  For  the  informa- 
tion of  those  who  are  not  skilled  in  the  houses  of  a  new 


A  "  COUP   DE   THEATRE."  345 

county,  I  would  say,  that  a  double  log-cabin — such  an 
one  as  the  magistrate's — consists  usually  of  two  large 
rooms,  separated  by  a  wide  hall,  which,  in  pleasant  wea- 
ther, serves  the  family  for  a  dining  and  sitting-room,  but 
being  generally  open  at  both  ends,  is  not  used  in  incle- 
ment days. 

From  all  appearances,  they  found  that  the  trial  was  to 
be  an  affair  of  more  detail  than  they  admired,  and 
M'Guire,  considering  himself  now  to  be  in  a  condition  to 
dictate  his  own  terms,  insolently  demanded  if  the  Justice 
intended  to  do  as  he  was  ordered — adding,  that  if  he  did 
not,  and  that  immediately,  he  would  cut  him  to  pieces  with 
his  knife.  The  Justice  replied  that  he  intended  to  pro- 
ceed according  to  law,  and  in  no  other  way  ;  but  hardly 
had  he  spoken  when  M'Guire,  knife  in  hand,  followed  by 
his  friends,  rushed  upon  him. 

At  this  critical  moment,  the  side-doors  were  dashed 
open,  and  on  either  side  a  volley  from  six  rifles  was 
poured  upon  them.  M'Guire  and  two  others  fell  dead, 
the  rest,  more  or  less  injured,  were  seized  and  bound  with 
cords. 

It  was  like  a  " coup  de  theatre"  except  that  it  exceeded 
one,  as  reality  ever  does  fiction.  I  am  sure  that  no  melo- 
dramatist  ever  invented  or  got  up  a  more  perfect  or  suc- 
cessful affair  ;  and  who  may  say  that  it  was  not  pure, 
even-handed  justice  ? 

"We  should  like  to  have  seen  a  non-resistant*  in  the 

*  NON-RESISTANTS. — "  In  New  England  they  haye  a  Non-Resistant 
Society,  which  held  its  anniversary  in  Boston  a  few  days  ago.  One 
member,  during  the  past  year,  has  backslidden  so  far  as  to  knock  down 
a  man,  and  he  was  expelled. 

"  Mr.  Garrison  denned  the  principle  of  non-resiatance  by  instancing  a 
case  like  the  following  : — 

15* 


346  GAMBLERS   AND   DESPERADOES. 

magistrate's  situation,  and  to  know  whether  he  would 
have  turned  the  gang  loose  upon  the  world,  and  have 
sacrificed  his  own  life,  rather  than — by  an  exhibition  of 
similar  coolness  and  conduct — have  done  a  deed  that 
would  entitle  him  to  the  thanks  of  his  country. 

But  I  am  in  error  ;  a  non-resistant  can  fill  no  magis- 
trate's chair,  for  he  acknowledges  and  believes  in  no  law, 
except,  perhaps,  for  his  own  benefit.  Speaking  of  non- 
resistants,  reminds  us  of  a  sad  expose"  of  one  of  the  earlier 
apostles  of  that  exceedingly  astute  sect,  which — believing 
that  my  readers  may,  perhaps,  be  equally  willing  with  us 
to  escape  pro  tern,  the  perusal  of  a  history  of  guilt  and 
crime,  and  to  exchange  it  for  a  more  amusing  subject — I 
will  relate. 

"  If  a  man  is  assaulted  by  a  highwayman  or  a  murderer,  he  must  not 
resist^  even  for  the  purpose  of  saving  his  life,  or  the  lives  of  his  wife 
and  children?  unless  such  resistance  can  be  effected  without  endangering 
the  life  and  limbs  of  his  opponent :  he  must  not  strike  a  single  blow,  in 
self-defence,  that  may,  by  any  possibility,  break  an  arm,  or  a  finger  even, 
of  his  assailant. 

"Another  speaker  coincided  with  Mr.  Garrison,  and  remarked  that, 
should  his  house  be  entered  by  robbers  that  night,  he  should  offer  no 
resistance,  unless  they  could  be  expelled  without  receiving  the  slightest 
bodily  injury !  But  he  should  endeavor,  on  the  morrow,  to  ferret  out  the 
burglars  (not,  however,  through  the  aid  of  the  laws),  and  have  a  friendly 
talk  with  them,  and  try,  with  words  of  kindness,  to  win  them  back  to  the 
forsaken  paths  of  honesty  and  virtue.  If  !>.ny  articles  of  which  he  had 
been  robbed  should  be  found  in  their  possession,  he  should  refuse  to  take 
them  back,  and  beg  of  the  misguided  men  to  retain  them,  unless  indeed 
they  pertinaciously  urged  and  entreated  him  to  receive'them." — Express, 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  NON-RESISTANT,   AND   THE  RIVER  DESPERADO. 

IT  was  years  since, — ere  the  delicate  hue  of  the  peony  upon 
my  cheek  had  been  changed  by  a  southern  sun,  to  the  more 
sombre  tint  of  a  half  dried  lemon, — that  I  was  induced  and 
seduced,  by  a  series  of  false  pretences,  to  attend  a  lecture 
somewhere  in  that  land  of  wooden  hams,  wooden  nutmegs, 
and  wooden-headed  pedagogues,  known,  emphatically,  as 
Down  East.  A  non-resistant  lecturer, — one  that  was 
deemed  a  burning  and  a  shining  light  among  that  genera- 
tion of  saints,  was  to  hold  forth  'in  exposition  of  his  tJien 
new-fangled  doctrines. 

A  numerous  audience  had  assembled,  and  after  reading 
to  them  a  chapter  from  the  Bible,  the  anti-pugnacious  gen- 
tleman proceeded  with  as  superlative  a  mass  of  nonsense 
as  it  ever  fell  to  the  lot  of  mortal  ears  to  endure.  First, 
he  attacked  the  profession  of  arms,  and  consigned  to  his 
Satanic  majesty,  at  one  fell  swoop,  all  who  meddled  or 
made  with  sword  or  gun,  from  the  victorious  general, 
dealing  death  and  devastation  upon  the  enemy,  to  the  veri- 
est fourth  corporal  of  the  ragged  militia. 

Having  demolished  the  men  of  war,  secundum  artem,  he 
went  to  work  upon  the  men  of  peace,  and  at  one  stroke  of 
his  veracious  tongue,  packed  off  to  Tophet  the  entire  gene- 
ration of  law-givers  and  law-expounders,  legislators  and 
common  council-men,  judges  and  juries,  lawyers  and  cli- 


348  NON-RESISTANT   AND   RIVER   DESPERADO. 

ents,  office-sweepers  and  jailers — all  to  there  keep  com- 
pany with  the  Armigcrs. 

"  Our  Maker  alone,"  said  this  authoritative  personage, 
"  has  a  right  to  control  men  ;  the  Justice,  who  usurps  His 
right,  commits  practical  blasphemy  ;  the  higher  the  grade, 
the  more  audacious  the  criminal ;  therefore,  a  King  or  a 
President  is  the  most  wicked  wretch  on  earth." 

He  then  denounced  all  that  submitted  to  the  laws, 
or  acknowledged  any  earthly  power  or  authority,  and 
asserted  that  it  was  a  crime  for  a  man  to  resist  another, 
even  when  his  life  was  at  stake,  although  by  so  doing  he 
might  preserve  it,  and  prevent  the  commission  of  murder. 

"  Should  a  man  steal  from  you,"  continued  he,  "  go  to 
him,  and  remonstrate  with  him  ;  should  a  man  purloin  my 
watch,  I  would  endeavor  to  obtain  restitution  by  an  appeal 
to  his  conscience.  If  I  failed,  I  would  go  unto  him  again 
and  again ;  and  should  he  yet  prove  entirely  hardened 
and  depraved,  no  efforts  of  mine  should  ever  seek  redress 
by  law." 

"  Yes,"  added  he,  warming  with  his  subject.  "  Yes,  cold 
as  the  night  is,  should  a  man  lay  his  hand  upon  my  coat, 
no  resistance  would  he  meet  from  me  ;  he  might  have  that, 
and  my  cloak  also,  before  I  would  sin  by  raising  my  hand 
against  my  fellow,  or  appearing  in  that  tabernacle  of  the 
evil  one — a  Court." 

Now,  at  this  time  sat  in  the  centre  of  the  building  a  cer- 
tain noisy,  turbulent,  empty-headed,  pettifogging  lawyer, 
who,  since  that  time,  has  made  some  noise  in  the  world  as 
a  political  demagogue — empty  vessels  being  the  very  ones 
of  all  the  world  to  make  a  noise,  when  tossing  to  and  fro 
in  the  turbulent  sea  of  politics.  Squire  Dan,  as  he  was 
called,  not  admiring  the  animadversions  cast,  with  no 


THE  LECTURER   "  SKUNKED."  349 

sparing  hand,  upon  a  profession,  of  which  he  was — if  not 
a  limb — at  least  a  twig,  although  a  very  small  one,  arose 
and  addressed  the  orator  of  the  evening,  to  the  latter's 
astonishment,  and  that  of  the  audience. 

*"  Sir,"  said  Dan,  "  did  I  understand  you  to  say  that  you 
would  neither  offer  resistance  to,  nor  prosecute,  a  person 
taking  your  coat  ?" 

"  I  said  so,  sir,"  replied  the  amazed  non-resistant. 

"  But,"  continued  Dan,  "  I  wish  to  know  if  you  really 
avow  that  determination  upon  your  own  part,  or  merely 
mean  it  as  a  part  of  your  lecture,  and  an  exemplification 
of  the  principles  which  you  profess  ?" 

"  I  say  distinctly,  sir,  that  my  conduct  would  be  as  I  have 
stated,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Well  then,"  said  his  tormentor,  rising,  and  blowing  out 
his  fat  cheeks,  '  very  like  a  Vhale/  "  1  am  a  lawyer,  and 
like  to  put  everything  to  the  proof,  and  now,  I  call  the 
audience  to  witness  your  words.  I  know  a  poor  man,  sir, 
and  an  honest  one,  that  needs  a  coat  more  than  you  do, 
and  if  you  do  not  retract,  I  shall  take  it  from  you,  and 
give  it  to  him." 

Dan  started  for  the  rostrum,  and  even  was  about  ascend- 
ing, when  the  alarmed  and  astounded  exponor  of  non- 
resistantism  cried  "  peccavi !" 

"  Stop,  sir,"  said  he,  "  I  was  preaching  what  we  should, 
not  what  we  do  perform." 

Our  lecturer's  course  was  cut  short  by  an  untoward 
event.  A  severe  defeat  at  the  game  of  draughts  was  for- 
merly, and,  probably,  is  now,  termed  "a  skunk."  The 
man  was  "  skunked." 

Great  events  hinge  upon  small  causes.  A  refractory 
pig  is  said  to  have  occasioned  the  late  war  between  the 


350  NON-RESISTANT   AND   RIVER   DESPERADO. 

United  States  and  England,  and  the  capture  of  one  of  the 
hereabove  hinted-at,  odoriferous  purloiners  of  poultry, — 
known  "  down  East"  as  "  Wethersfield  dogs." — by  a  party 
of  urchins,  resulted  in  the  non-resistant's  defeat. 

In  the  midst  of  an  impassioned  harangue,  the  animal  was 
thrown  into  the  centre  of  the  building.  It  was  cold 
weather,  the  doors  were  closed  and  a  brisk  fire  burned  in 
the  stoves.  An  immediate  retreat  was  the  necessary  con- 
sequence. 

These  "  non-resistant"  gentry  may  do  very  well  in  some 
quiet  humdrum  eastern  village,  where  the  appearance  of 
the  parson's  wife  in  a  new  silk  dress,  is  enough  to  produce 
an  extraordinary  excitement ;  where  a  rise  in  hoe-handles, 
axe-helves,  or  rake-stales,  is  a  signal  for  an  emeute,  such  as  it 
is  ;  where  the  principal  amusement  of  the  ladies  is  found  in 
those  female  "  Schools  for  Scandal,"  yclept  sewing  circles, 
and  famous  for  the  instruction  of  juvenile  feminine  "  Ideas" 
in  the  art  of  "  shooting"  at  the  reputation  of  every  female 
in  the  village,  "  present  company  excepted,"  and  of  giving 
an  especial  stab  at  the  character  of  those  whose  position 
in  society  is  superior  to  their  own  :  where  the  anti-slavery 
almanac,  the  most  "  ideal"  work  of  the  age,  and  fully  equal 
in  imaginative  description  to  Gulliver's  Travels,  Baron 
Munchausen,  and  Peter  Wilkins  combined,  is  purchased, 
and  every  one  of  its  impudent  and  barefaced  lies  swal- 
lowed as  pure  gospel.  They  may  do  there,  but  in  the 
GREAT  WEST,  men  and  women  of  very  different  calibre  are 
required.  Accustomed  from  infancy  to  the  excitement 
of  the  real  dangers  ever  attending  the  settlement  of 
new  territory,  they  can  neither  understand  nor  forgive 
the  pertinacity  with  which  some  of  their  eastern  breth- 
ren insist  upon  letting  their  own  business  alone,  and 


TRAVELLING   GAMBLERS.  351 

minding  that  of  their  neighbors  and  the  community  in 
general. 

Cross  the  mountains,  descend  the  "  Belle  Riviere,"  and 
the  "  Father  of  Waters,"  and  you  will  find  everything  upon 
a  gigantic  scale.  Earth,  air,  and  water  all  combine  to 
produce  this  effect.  Land  more  rich  than  Canaan's  soil, 
yields  overweening  crops  of  cotton  and  of  corn.  The 
storms  are  hurricanes,  the  rivers  vast  inland  seas  ;  and,  is 
it  not  surprising,  where  everything  is  expanded,  that  man 
should  partake  of  the  general  feature  ? 
'  It  is  so,  indeed,  and  while  in  size  they  rival  the  sons  of 
Anak,  their  virtues,  their  courage,  their  hospitality,  and 
their  crimes  are  all  in  the  same  proportion. 

The  entire  world  cannot  produce  such  a  collection  of 
unmitigated  scoundrels  as  are  to  be  found  there,  some 
spending  their  time  upon  the  rivers,  some  passing  for 
planters  and  tavern-keepers,  scattered  through  the  South 
and  West  at  convenient  distances,  making  a  chain  of  posts 
for  the  accommodation  of  their  brethren,  and  others  prowl- 
ing about  'under  various  guises,  as  horse-dealers,  negro 
drovers,  and  peddlers,  but  carrying  on  the  more  profitable 
trades  of  negro  stealing,  robbery,  and  murder.  Commen- 
cing in  most  cases  with  gambling,  the  western  scamp 
seldom  pauses  in  his  career,  until  he  has  reached  the  top- 
most round  in  the  ladder  of  crime. 

No  boat  ever  travels  over  the  Mississippi,  Ohio,  or  their 
tributaries,  without  the  accustomed  freightage  of  "  Cheva- 
liers d'  Industrie,"  as  much  superior  in  audacity  and  vil- 
lany  to  their  congeners  of  the  old  world,  as  is  an  incarnate 
demon  of  hell  to  a  common  every-day  rascal. 

Boats  are  owned  by  associations  of  these  scoundrels, 


352  NON-KESISTANT  AND   EIVEE   DESPERADO. 

run  to  facilitate  gambling  and  robbing  operations,  and  I 
would  here  warn  all  tyros  in  Western  travel'  to  inquire 
well  into  the  character  of  both  boat  and  captain  before 
embarking,  and  when  on  board,  to  be  seduced  into  no  game 
of  chance — even  for  amusement — with  a  stranger. 

Some  few  years  since,  I  think  in  1842.  a  man  was  hung 
in  Cincinnati,  who,  although  but  twenty-four  years  of  age, 
confessed  to  twenty-two  murders. 

According  to  his  own  story,  he  had  been  for  three  years 
of  his  career  a  nominal  barkeeper  upon  a  Western  boat,  in 
order  that  he  might  have  a  better  chance  to  commit  and 
conceal  crime. 

Travelling  as  a  solitary  gambler,  while  a  mere  boy,  he 
had  marked  one  of  the  passengers  for  his  prey,  under  the 
idea  that  he  carried  with  him  a  large  amount  of  money. 
He  engaged  a  part  of  the  same  state-room,  and  not  suc- 
ceeding in  his  efforts  to  inveigle  the  man  into  a  game  of 
cards,  determined  to  murder  him  in  the  night  and  leave 
the  boat  with  his  booty. 

He  succeeded  in  the  commission  of  the  crime,  but  as  he 
was  searching  for  the  supposed  money,  the  door  opening 
upon  the  guards  was  unlocked,  and  the  captain  of  the 
boat  entered. 

Both  were  astonished,  and  the  murderer  paralysed,  until 
the  captain,  the  older  adept  in  guilt,  informed  him  that  he 
had  only  forestalled  his  intentions,  and  proposed  a  division 
of  the  spoil. 

For  three  years  he  remained  upon  the  boat,  engaged  in 
gambling,  and,  when  a  fair  opportunity  presented  itself, 
murder. 

When  all  or  a  great  portion  of  this  tribe  of  villains 


PHALANX  OF   CRIME.  353 

were  united  by  that  arch-fiend  Murrel,  they  presented  a 
phalanx  of  crime  that  seemed  almost  impregnable  to  the 
law,  and  could  only  have  been  checked,  for  entirely 
uprooted  they  were  not,  by  the  ultra  means  adopted  in 
Mississippi. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE    LAND    PIRATE. 

THAT  circumstances  may  arise  when  nothing  less  potent 
and  immediate  than  the  application  of  Lynch  law  can 
prevent  wholesale  robbery  and  murder,  was  most  conclu- 
sively proved  by  the  events  which  occurred  in  Mississippi 
after  the  capture  and  imprisonment  of  Murrel,  the  "  Land 
Pirate." 

In  order  that  my  readers  may  properly  understand  the 
very  extraordinary  state  of  affairs  that  existed  in  the 
Valley  of  the  Mississippi  at  the  time,  it  is  necessary  for 
me  to  give  some  account  of  the  pirate,  his  plot,  and  his 
capture ;  for  singular  as  it  may  seem,  few  Northern  men 
have  ever  heard  the  name  of  Murrel,  or  known  anything 
of  his  conspiracy — a  conspiracy  which  enrolled  in  its  ranks 
almost  every  villain  in  the  Southwest,  and  aimed  at  no 
less  a  crisis  than  the  total  destruction  and  ruin  of  the  South- 
western states. 

John  A.  Murrel  was  one  of  the  worst  class  of  Western 
villains.  After  a  career  of  crime  almost  unparalleled,  he 
conceived  and  apparently  carried  near  to  execution  a  plan 
which,  if  perfected,  would  have  plunged  the  entire  South 
and  West  into  an  abyss  of  misery  and  desolation. 

Whether  he  would  really  have  pushed  his  designs  to  the 
extent  he  induced  his  adherents  to  believe,  is  a  matter  of 
doubt ;  for  although  when  a  prisoner  he  was  anxious  that 
they  should  make  the  attempt,  it  is  probable  he  might  have 


ENLISTING.      '  355 

confined  the  sphere  of  action,  or  have  deferred  for  a  long 
time  the  execution  of  his  incredibly  daring  plot. 

His  idea  was  to  revolutionize  the  entire  South  ;  to  cause 
the  negroes  to  rise  simultaneously,  and,  under  the  com- 
mand of  his  associates  and  himself,  to  lay  waste  city  and 
country,  to  burn,  rob,  murder,  devastate,  and  destroy. 

His  plans  were  deeply  laid.  To  a  few  he  confided  the 
extent  of  his  design,  and  to  each  of  these  gave  the  author- 
ity to  enlist  all  the  minor  villains  of  their  acquaintance. 
The  latter  were  termed  Strikers,  and  used  but  as  tools — in 
fact,  as  the  hands  to  do  the  work  of  the  conspiracy — while 
the  Grand  Council,  as  head,  controlled  their  motions. 

They  were  sworn  by  the  most  horrible  oaths  to  secrecy, 
and  to  the  unhesitating  performance  of  all  the  commands 
of  their  superiors.  To  violate  their  oaths  was  certain 
death. 

In  a  short  time,  Murrel  had  bound  together  in  his  chain 
the  great  mass  of  robbers  and  minor  villains  in  the  West, 
but  this  did  not  content  him.  For  all  the  purposes  of 
mutual  assistance  in  counterfeiting,  robbery,  negro  and 
horse  stealing,  the  present  confederacy  might  suffice,  but 
it  was  necessary  for  safety  and  the  completion  of  his 
grand  design,  that  his  band  should  include  among  their 
members  men  of  an  entirely  different  class — men  of  stand- 
ing in  society,  and  of  name  in  the  world. 

To  accomplish  this,  he  established  throughout  the  entire 
South,  or  perhaps  more  particularly  the  portion  that 
borders  upon  the  Mississippi  river,  a  cordon  of  robber 
police,  so  well  drilled,  so  effective  in  their  operations,  that 
Vidocq  himself  might  have  envied  the  perfection  of  the 
arrangements.  Every  crime  not  committed  by  one  of  the 
gang  was  traced  immediately  to  its  author,  and  the  crimi- 


356  THE  LAND   PIRATE. 

nal  was  astounded  on  discovering  that  deeds  which  he 
supposed  none  but  his  God  and  himself  to  be  cognizant 
of,  were  known  by  numbers,  whose  mandate  he  must  obey 
implicitly,  and  among  whom  he  must  enroll  his  name,  or 
be  immediately  exposed  to  the  world  and  to  justice. 

It  is  not,  at  this  late  hour,  for  us  to  learn  that  petty 
crimes,  or  those  of  the  first  magnitude,  are  not  confined  to 
the  lower  walks  of  life.  All,  however,  were  fish  that  came 
to  Muriel's  net ;  the  low  gambler  and  the  rich  villain  were 
equally  received  with  open  arms. 

Not  content  with  detecting  crime,  his  victims  were 
seduced  to  commit  it,  and  the  trap  then  sprung  upon 
them. 

In  this  manner,  ere  long,  he  numbered  men  of  all  classes 
and  grades,  including  many  persons  of  wealth,  judges,  law- 
yers, clergymen,  militia  officers  of  high  rank,  planters,  mer- 
ch,ants,  &c.* 

*  Lest  the  reader  may  think  that  I  have  either  been  myself  imposed 
upon,  or  am  seeking  to  impose  upon  others,  I  here  insert  an  extract  from  a 
Galveston  paper,  published  within  the  last  four  years.  In  my  account  of 
the  Murrel  conspiracy  I  have  been  particularly  careful  to  insert  nothing  of 
the  truth  of  which  I  am  not  positively  certain ;  many  of  the  facts  are  from 
personal  knowledge,  or  from  the  knowledge  of  those  upon  whose  word  I 
place  implicit  confidence. 

THE  MURREL  GANG  IN  WASHINGTON  COUNTY. 

"The  Texan  Ranger,  of  the  10th  instant,  contains  the  confession  of  A.  G. 
Grigg,  one  of  the  gang  of  thieves  whom  the  citizens  of  Austin,  Fayette,  and 
Washington  counties  (where  the  operations  have  been  principally  carried 
on)  have  determined  on  exterminating,  or  otherwise  stopping  their  infamous 
career.  This  confession  exhibits  an  organized  and  systematic  plan  of  pro- 
cedure, as  well  calculated  to  accomplish  the  nefarious  ends  of  the  band  as 
to  escape  the  penalties  of  the  law  and  justice  in  case  of  detection. 

"The  published  names  of  those  connected  with  the  gang,  are:— 


A   POWERFUL   CLAX.  357 

The  great  secrets  of  the  confederacy  were  confined  to 
the  leaders,  known  as  the  Grand  Council,  and  the  Striker's 
only  duty  was  to  obey  the  every  command  of  his  superior. 

Members  of  the  clan  recognised  each  other  by  certain 
signs,  and  the  correspondence  between  the  leaders  was 
conducted  in  a  cipher. 

Perhaps  the  most  singular  circumstance  connected  with 
the  history  of  this  affair  is,  that  although  the  designs  of 
Murrel  must  have  been  known  to  some  two  hundred  of  the 
superior  villains,  and  the  existence  of  the  plan  to  more 
than  as  many  thousands  ;  yet  with  so  much  fear  did  they 

"  Rev.  Nathan  Shook,  of  Crocket ;  Judge  Kelsoe,  or  Kersaw,  living 
somewhere  on  the  Gaudaloupe  river ;  Orland  Snapp,  Lewis  Boren,  Bill 
Short,  William  Howitt»  George  Carmine,  James  Cox,  Nathaniel  Greer, 
James  McLaughlin,  James  Crook,  D.  D.  Ritchey,  and  a  man  named  Agery« 
The  latter  controlled  a  mint,  located  above  Brownsville,  on  the  Rio  Grande, 
but  which  none  of  the  others  were  made  acquainted  with.  Agery  supplied 
his  accomplices  with  spurious  coin  for  fifty  cents  on  the  dollar,  in  good 
money,  at  the  Star  Hotel  in  this  city,  which  establishment,  according  to 
Grigg's  confession,  he  had  rented,  and  Bill  Short  was  to  be  proprietor. 
Agery  paid  two  hundred  dollars,  in  good  money,  for  each  negro  delivered 
to  him,  or  four  hundred  dollars  in  spurious  coin. 

"Passing  counterfeit  money,  stealing  negroes,  cattle,  and  other  property, 
were  the  principal  branches  of  business  followed  by  this  extensive  associa- 
tion. A  correspondent  of  the  Ranger  says,  the  number  of  negroes  stolen 
from  the  counties  named  is  very  considerable.  Two  of  the  gang,  Short  and 
McLaughlin,  were  tried  for  murder  in  1848,  but  by  means  of  their  associates 
on  the  jury  got  clear,  and  afterwards  boasted  that  they  had  followed  one 
of  the  state's  witnesses  to  take  his  life  for  giving  evidence  against  them, 
which  it  is  thought  they  succeeded  in  doing.  The  same  correspondent  says, 
the  gang  is  composed  of  ministers  of  the  gospel,  merchants,  lawyers, 
farmers,  traders,  and  also  that  some  EDITORS  of  newspapers  are  inculpated, 
as  having  aided  by  their  advice  and  support 

"  We  are  curious  to  know  who  the  editors  are,  and  look  anxiously  for 
the  full  disclosures."—  Galceston  Newt. 


358  THE  LAND   PIRATE. 

regard  the  confederacy,  or  with  so  much  faith  did  they 
believe  in  the  power,  talent,  and  management  of  their 
leader,  that  it  was  through  him,  and  through  him  alone, 
that  they  were  ultimately  betrayed. 

The  circumstances  of  the  discovery  of  the  plot  were 
these  : 

Murrel  had  owned  a  farm,  or  plantation,  for  a  number 
of  years  in  Madison  county,  Tennessee.  Here  his  true 
character  was  for  a  time  unknown,  but  the  frequent  losses 
of  slaves  and  valuable  horses  by  the  neighboring  planters 
induced  them  to  regard  him  with  suspicion,  which  indeed 
his  singular  and  mysterious  mode  of  life  warranted  them 
in  doing. 

He  was  absent  months  at  a  time  from  his  home  and  wife 
without  any  apparent  reason,  or  ostensible  business.  Hig 
home  was  a  rendezvous  for  strangers  of  a  suspicious  cha- 
racter ;  persons  were  often  seen  to  arrive  and  depart  at 
the  dead  hour  of  the  night,  and  in  fact  everything  con- 
curred to  produce  the  impression  upon  his  neighbors,  that 
not  only  was -he  a  dishonest  and  dangerous  character,  but 
also  a  leader  or  chief  of  some  unknown  band  of  robbers, 
counterfeiters,  or  murderers — perhaps  all  the  three. 

Suspicion  led  to  a  closer  scrutiny,  and  scrutiny  to  detec- 
tion. A  neighbor  had  lost  a  number  of  slaves,  and  for 
several  days  could  find  no  trace  of  them.  At  length,  the 
overseer  of  his  plantation  discovering  one  of  the  runaways 
creeping  into  his  deserted  "  quarter"  at  night,  gave  chase, 
and  after  some  trouble  succeeded  in  capturing  him. 

From  him  they  obtained  a  knowledge  of  the  locale  of  the 
rendezvous,  and  the  name  of  the  negro  thief.  As  they  had 
anticipated,  it  was  Murrel. 

The  testimony  of  a  negro  against  a  white  man,  however, 


TAKEN   IN   THE   ACT.  359 

is  invalid  in  Tennessee,  and  it  was  necessary  to  detect  the 
criminal  themselves. 

The  negro  was  accordingly  directed  to  guide  his  master 
and  a  number  of  well-armed  men  to  the  spot  in  silence, 
and  then  rejoin  his  associates,  being  threatened  with  the 
penalty  of  death  if  he  should  in  any  manner  betray  the 
design  of  his  captors. 

The  plot  succeeded.  Hardly  had  the  company  been 
cautiously  posted  around  the  negroes,  when  Murrel  him- 
self, bearing  a  basket  of  provisions  in  his  hand,  made  his 
appearance,  and  immediately  began  to  divide  the  food 
among  them. 

After  the  party  had  seen  and  heard  sufficient  for  their 
purpose,  they  rushed  upon  the  villain,  and  secured  him. 

Taken  entirely  unawares,  MurrePs  coolness  did  not  in 
'the  least  desert  him  ;  on  the  contrary,  he  turned  upon  the 
owner  whom  he  had  robbed,  and  congratulated  him  upon 
the  recovery  of  his  slaves,  stating  that  he  had  himself  dis- 
covered them  but  a  short  time  before,  and  that  he  had 
beguiled  them  with  fair  promises  and  kind  treatment  into 
the  belief  that  he  was  their  friend,  solely  for  the  purpose, 
however,  of  securing  them  for  him. 

Despite  his  self-possession,  however,  he  was  bound,  and 
carried  in  triumph  to  the  county  jail,  where,  in  a  day  or 
two,  he  was  bailed  for  a  heavy  sum.  The  day  of  trial 
arrived,  and  to  the  astonishment  of  every  one,  Murrel 
delivered  himself  up.  So  dark  appeared  the  case,  that  the 
idea  was  universal  that  the  bail-bond  would  be  forfeited, 
and  the  criminal  seek  safety  in  flight.  They  were  doubly 
mistaken.  Murrel  had  employed  skilful  counsel,  and  his 
own  knowledge  of  criminal  law  was  not  to  be  despised. 
It  soon  appeared  the  count  in  the  indictment  charging  him 


360  THE   LAND    PIRATE. 

with  "  negro  stealing"  could  not  be  sustained,  and  lie  could 
only  be  convicted  of  harboring  the  negroes. 

A  verdict  was  accordingly  rendered  against  him  for  this 
offence,  mulcting  him  in  a  few  hundred  dollars,  and  against 
this  he  contended,  appealing  to  the  "  Supreme  Court,''  upon 
the  ground  of  the  unconstitutionally  of  the  law  against 
"  negro  harboring." 

Failing  in  their  attempt  to  inflict  a  severe  penalty  by 
law,  the  citizens  in  Madison,  or  at  least  many  of  them,  deter- 
mined upon  taking  the  affair  in  their  own  hands,  and  accord- 
ingly organized  a  company  with  the  intention  of  "  Lynch- 
ing" him.  Here  again  were  they  out-generalled  ;  for,  per- 
fectly apprised,  through  his  spies,  of  their  intentions,  he 
summoned  his  adherents  around  him  and  prepared  for  a 
desperate  resistance.  Nor  was  this  all.  The  enemies'  camp 
counted  among  their  number  several  of  his  spies,  who  not ' 
only  notified  him  of  their  every  movement,  but  spread  dis- 
cord among  the  company,  and  finally  leaving  it  in  the  pre- 
tended fear  of  the  consequences,  induced  the  others  to 
abandon  the  design. 

Murrel  had  conquered  ;  and  now,  feeling  himself  almost 
invulnerable,  determined  upon  revenge,  not  dreaming  that 
he  had  yet  to  cope  with  one,  his  equal  in  coolness  and 
courage,  and  his  superior  in  cunning. 

Among  the  most  obnoxious  of  MurrePs  neighbors  was  a 
Methodist  minister  of  the  name  of  Henning.  He  had  been 
active  in  organizing  the  corps  of  regulators,  and  had  used 
all  his  influence  to  persuade  the  planters  of  Murrel's  guilt 
and  bad  character,  and  upon  him  the  desperado  determined 
to  be  fully  revenged.  Henning  had  two  fine  and  valuable 
negroes,  and  Murrel,  without  much  difficulty,  persuaded 
them  to  run  away.  He  sent  with  them  one  of  his  "  Stri- 


THE   LETTER.  361 

kers,"  whom  he  furnished  with  fast  horses,  to  enable  him, 
if  hard  pressed,  to  escape  ;  but  remained  himself  at  home, 
in  order  to  evade  suspicion. 

In  this  respect  his  precautions  were  useless  ;  for  as  soon 
as  Henning  missed  his  slaves,  he  sent  a  quick-witted  spy 
to  watch  every  step  of  the  supposed  thief,  and  to  obtain 
from  his  wife,  if  possible,  some  information  of  his  intended 
movements.  In  the  latter  attempt  the  spy  was  successful, 
and  discovered  that  Murrel  intended  to  leave  for  the  town 
of  Randolph  in  a  fortnight.  Henning  consulted  with  his 
friends  as  to  what  course  it  would  be  most  advisable  for 
him  to  pursue  ;  but  unfortunately,  in  this  sad  world  which 
we  inhabit,  no  man  can  be  sure  of  a  friend,  as  the  worthy 
preacher  soon  after  found  out  to  his  cost. 

The  very  man  in  whom  he  placed  the  most  confidence, 
and  whom  he  first  consulted  upon  the  subject,  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  clan,  and  one  of  the  Grand  Council,  and  of 
course  the  information  was  conveyed  to  Murrel  with  all 
possible  speed. 

The  latter  now  had  the  double  advantage  of  knowing 
his  adversary's  game,  while  his  adversary  supposed  himself 
to  be  equally  wise.  With  his  characteristic  boldness, 
Murrel  addressed  the  following  letter  to  Richard  Hen- 
niiig,  a  son  of  the  old  preacher  : — 

DENMARK,  January  23,  1885. 

Ba,- 

I  have  been  told  that  you  accuse  me  of  being  concerned  in  stealing 
your  own  and  your  father's  negroes ;  and  I  have  been  told  also,  that  you 
have  thought  proper  to  vapor  about  what  you  would  do  with  me  if  you 
could  be  sure  of  having  me  on  equal  terms.  I  say  I  have  been  told  these 
things ;  and  I  wish  to  reply,  if  they  be  true,  that  I  can  whip  you  from  the 
point  of  a  dagger  to  the  anchor  of  a  ship.  But,  sir,  if  I  have  been  miflin- 
16 


362  THE   LAND   PIEATE.   . 

formed  by  malicious  persons,  who  wish  to  do  you  a  discredit,  I  trust  you 
•will  receive  this  letter  as  a  messnge  of  friendship.  I  am  about  leaving  for 
Randolph,  and  shall  be  pleased  to  have  your  company  on  any  terms  you 
may  choose,  or  to  satisfy  you,  if  it  is  necessary,  that  my  intentions  and 
business  are  honest 

Tours,  according  to  the  truth  or  falsity  of  the  rumors, 

JOHN  A.  MUBHEL. 

RICHARD  HKJJNING. 

At  this  critical  time,  Virgil  A.  Stewart,  a  friend  of 
Henning,  appeared  upon  the  field,  and  the  whole  affair  was 
laid  before  him. 

No  answer  had  been  returned  to  Murrel 's  letter,  and  he 
supposed  that  his  object — to  prevent  pursuit — had  been 
attained. 

Very  different,  however,  were  the  intentions  of  the  Hen- 
nings  and  their  friend.  The  latter  advised  them  to 
closely  and  carefully  slow-track  Murrel,  until  they  found 
what  his  real  destination  was,  and  what  the  business  might 
be  that  led  him  there  ;  and,  moreover,  volunteered  to 
accompany  Richard  Henning.  His  offer  was  accepted  ; 
and  on  the  eve  of  the  day  when  Murrel  had  informed  them 
of  his  design  to  leave,  Stewart  started  with  the  intention 
of  riding  a  few  miles  upon  the  road  to  the  house  of  a 
friend,  where  his  companion  was  to  join  him  at  an  early 
hour  next  morning. 

Morning  came,  but  no  Henning  ;  and  Stewart,  after 
waiting  impatiently  three  or  four  hours,  determined  to 
proceed  alone,  although  almost  unarmed.  Whether  he 
would  have  done  this  had  he  known,  as  well  as  he  after- 
wards did,  the  character  of  the  man  whom  he  was  to 
encounter,  is  a  matter  of  doubt ;  but  it  is  certain  that  the 


STEWART.  363 

pages  of  history  can  show  no  greater  instance  of  the  dis- 
play of  presence  of  mind,  energy,  determination,  and  cou- 
rage, both  moral  and  physical,  than  he  evinced  in  the  suc- 
cessful pursuance  of  his  design. 


CHAPTER  Y. 

THE  WOLF   TEAPPED. 

STEWAET  had  reached  the  first  toll-gate  upon  his  road,  and 
was  in  the  act  of  inquiring  of  the  keeper  if  Murrel  had 
passed  during  the  morning  or  last  night,  when  the  person 
himself  rode  up.  Stewart  continued  his  conversation 
with  the  keeper  until  Murrel  had  ridden  out  of  sight,  and 
then  being  satisfied  with  regard  to  his  identity,  mounted 
his  horse  in  pursuit.  It  had  been  his  intention  to  fol- 
low his  man  closely,  and  yet  to  keep  out  of  his  sight, 
but  accident  prevented  this.  The  day  was  cold,  and 
Stewart's  horse,  unperceived  by  his  master,  quickening 
his  pace,  brought  him  within  sight  of  Murrel.  The  latter 
was  looking  round  at  him  when  Stewart  first  perceived 
their  propinquity ;  and  now,  without  checking  his  pace,  he 
rode  up,  and  entered  into  conversation. 

Murrel  was  very  inquisitive.  Stewart  informed  him 
that  he  was  from  the  Choctaw  Purchase,  travelling  in 
quest  of  a  valuable  horse  that  he  thought  must  have 
strayed  in  that  direction. 

To  the  inquiry,  "  If  he  knew  a  man  of  the  name  of 
Murrel?"  Stewart  returned  so  prompt  a  negative,  and 
endurerl  the  scrutiny  of  his  inquisitor's  eye  so  unflinch- 
ingly, that  Murrel,  who  trusted  implicitly  in  his  judgment 
of  men  by  their  looks,  banished  entirely  his  first  idea,  that 
Stewart  was  a  sleuth-hound,  that  the  Hennings  had  put 
upon  his  trail. 


THE   REVELATION.  365 

In  some  respects,  Muriel's  judgment  of  his  antago- 
nist was  correct.  He  saw  courage,  energy,  and  deter- 
mination in  his  face  at  a  glance,  resolved  to  sound  him, 
and  if  possible  to  enlist  so  valuable  a  recruit  to  serve 
under  his  own  black  flag. 

Stewart  intentionally  spoke  in  such  a  manner  as  to  give 
his  new  acquaintance  an  idea  that  his  morals  were  of  the 
loosest,  and  in  fact  said  so  much  that  Murrel,  thinking  he 
was  wasting  his  labor  after  all  upon  one  who  was  ajready 
a  member,  endeavored  to  draw  from  him  the  secret  sign  of 
the  confederacy. 

Failing  in  this,  he  set  to  work  in  earnest,  and  com- 
menced a  recital  of  the  exploits  of  "  this  aforesaid  Mur- 
rel " — speaking  of  him  always  as  of  a  third  party.  Mur- 
rel's  weak  point  was  vanity,  and  Stewart's  pretended 
admiration  of  the  villanous  performances,  related  with  so 
much  gout,  so  won  upon  him,  that,  completely  deceived  as 
to  the  latter's  character,  during  the  first  day's  ride  he 
expressed  and  really  conceived  a  kind  of  friendship  for 
him,  and  exacted  a  promise  that  he  would  accompany  him 
as  far  as  Randolph,  in  the  hope  of  obtaining  some  informa- 
tion of  the  missing  horse.  A  desperate  game  truly  did 
Stewart  play  ;  but  from  the  beginning  of  their  acquaintance 
he  had,  and  kept  the  advantage. 

The  journey  to  Randolph  occupied  five  days,  during 
which  time  Murrel,  satisfied  that  his  first  estimate  of 
Stewart's  character  was  correct,  opened  all  his  plans  to 
him,  and  proposed  to  raise  him  immediately  to  a  post  of 
honor  ^  I^c  ~-~"ld  join  the  gang.  Stewart  consented. 

At  this  time,  the  least  suspicion  of  his  true  character 
and  intentions,  would  have  cost  our  modern  Vidocq  his 
life  ;  and  indeed  he  ran  a  very  narrow  risk  of  discovery. 


366  THE   WQLF   TRAPPED. 

He  had  assumed  the  name  of  Hues,  and  unfortunately  the 
route  which  he  and  his  companion  were  pursuing  led  them 
to  the  village  of  Wesley,  where  they  were  to  pass  the 
night,  and  where  Stewart  was  known  to  several  residents. 
He  fortunately  succeeded  in  escaping  momentarily  from 
Murrel's  vigilant  eye,  under  pretence  that  the  services  of 
a  blacksmith  were  required  for  his  horse  ;  and  during  his 
temporary  absence  met  a  gentleman  of  his  acquaintance, 
to  whom  he  confided  his  critical  situation,  and  requested 
him  to  mount,  as  it  were,  guard  over  the  tavern,  and  if 
any  person  who  knew  him  should  approach,  to  prevent 
them  calling  him  by  any  other  than  his  nom  de  guerre. 
His  friend  obeyed,  and  learning  Stewart's  determination 
to  dare  everything,  and  to  follow  Murrel  until  he  was 
satisfied  of  his  true  designs,  he  provided  him  with  arms 
of  defence,  of  which  Stewart  was  in  great  need. 

Three  times  after  this,  did  Stewart  communicate  to 
persons  upon  the  road,  something  of  the  character  of  his 
companion,  and  of  the  desperate  enterprise  which  he  was 
pursuing. 

The  travellers  at  length  reached  the  Mississippi,  oppo- 
site the  mouth  of  Old  River,  and  crossed  in  a  miserable 
canoe,  during  a  violent  tempest — having  left  their  horses 
upon  the  eastern  side.  After  landing  upon  the  Arkansas 
shore,  they  proceeded  some  distance  through  a  dense  cane- 
brake,  crossed  three  streams  of  water,  and  at  length  stood 
upon  the  shores  of  a  lake,  in  the  centre  of  which  a  small 
island  was  seen. 

This  was  the  rendezvous  of  the  Grand  Council — a  fit- 
ting place,  truly,  for  a  congress  of  murderers  ; — a  spot 
shunned  by  man,  unknown  save  by  the  wild  beasts  who 
chose  it  for  their  home.  The  rattlesnake  and  moccasin, 


THE  GRAND   COUNCIL.  367 

less  venomous  tliau  the  human  reptiles  who  herded  there, 
crawled  under  the  primeval  and  miasma-fed  drapery  that 
shrouded  the  deadly  cypress,  the  only  tree  that  claimed 
the  soil  for  its  own. 

Upon  the  island,  Stewart  found  a  number  of  the  villains, 
and  also  the  missing  negroes  of  Mr.  Henning.  The  Grand 
Council,  or  rather  their  representatives,  had  met  to  con- 
coct plans  for  various  nefarious  enterprises,  and  among 
them  the  wholesale  robbery  of  the  negroes  of  Mr.  Hen- 
•  derson,  an  absent  planter,  by  his  overseer.  Stewart,  now 
regularly  inducted  into  their  plans,  secrets,  and  signs, 
being  entirely  satisfied  with  regard  to  the  plans  of  Mur- 
rel,  became  naturally  desirous  to  escape ;  and  under  the 
pretence  of  having  left,  by  mistake,  some  valuable  papers 
at  the  house  of  a  Mr.  Erwin,  obtained  leave  of  the  chief 
to  return  there,  upon  the  condition  that  he  would  await 
his  own  arrival  before  departing  for  home. 

The  Mr.  Erwin  to  whose  house  Stewart  returned,  was 
one  to  whom  he  had  confided  something  of  his  hazardous 
enterprise  and  of  Murrel's  character.  Besides  Erwin,  he 
had  also  informed  two  other  persons  upon  the  road,  and 
all  of  them  entered  fully  into  his  plan.  One,  a  Mr. 
Haynes,  promised  in  case  of  any  emergency,  or  of  his  not 
returning  at  the  appointed  time,  to  raise  a  company  of 
fifty  armed  men  at  half  an  hour's  notice,  and  take  the 
field  to  capture  Murrel,  and  such  of  his  gang  as  he  might 
find. 

With  Erwin,  Murrel  had  contracted  to  deliver  three 
negroes  at  a  certain  price,  and  Stewart  had,  before  cross- 
ing the  river,  arranged  with  his  host  to  lead  the  pirate  on 
to  the  completion  of  the  contract,  and  have  him  arrested 
after  the  slaves  had  been  received  and  paid  for. 


368  THE   WOLF   TRAPPED. 

I  have  thus  far  related  the  train  of  events  which  led  to 
Murrel's  capture,  tersely  and  drily,  in  fact  epitomizing  the 
testimony  in  the  case  ;  but  before  arriving  at  the  crisis, 
let  us  for  a  moment  consider  the  peculiarly  dangerous  and 
extraordinary  position  in  which  Stewart  was  placed. 

He  had  embarked  upon  the  enterprise  with  the  sole 
intention  of  recovering  the  negroes  of  his  friend,  and 
bringing  the  thief  to  justice  ;  but  in  pursuit  of  his  design, 
had  raised  the  curtain  of  an  arcanum  of  crime  as  frightful 
as  it  was  unexpected. 

At  first,  he  probably  supposed  Murrel  to  be  vaporing 
with  regard  to  his  power,  to  the  number  of  his  clan,  and 
the  horrid  extent  of  his  plans  ;  but  when,  as  the  latter 
proceeded  with  the  details  of  his  plot,  giving  name  after 
name  of  persons  well  known  in  the  community,  and  many 
of  them  in  offices  of  power  and  trust,  and  when  he  exhi- 
bited to  him  proof  that  he  had  already  commenced  nego- 
tiations with  some  of  the  prominent  abolitionists  in  the 
North,  to  obtain  their  countenance  and  assistance,  he 
became  convinced  of  the  frightful  reality  of  Murrel's 
'statements. 

The  imminent  peril  which  Stewart  incurred  by  this  dis- 
covery cannot,  we  think,  be  properly  appreciated  by  those 
who  have  spent  their  lives  in  a  densely-populated  country, 
one  where  a  man  is  comparatively  free  from  the  danger  of 
assassination,  and  where,  such  a  clue  as  Stewart  now  pos- 
sessed, would  be  followed  up  by  an  active  band  of  drilled 
police,  hied  on  by  efficient  magistrates,  and  a  powerful 
and  independent  press. 

Imagine  the  situation  of  our  hero,  compelled,  if  he 
would  sustain  the  part  of  a  true-hearted,  honest  man,  to 
enter  the  field  of  battle  alone,  and  single-handed,  against 


AT  HOME.  369 

a  host  of  known,  and  perhaps  thousands  of  secret  enemies, 
to  contend  against  them  at  a  sacrifice  of  money,  time,  pro- 
bably reputation,  and  life  itself,  and  all,  to  preserve 
the  lives  and  fortunes  of  those  who,  he  must  have 
known,  would  never  appreciate  the  sacrifice,  and  who 
would,  and  did,  believe  that  his  knowledge  was  only 
derived  from  his  guilty  connexion  with  the  pirates,  and 
his  betrayal  of  their  plot  but  stimulated  by  the  hope  of 
great  reward. 

Many  men  of  passing  honesty,  situated  as  he  was, 
would,  with  the  fear  of  death  before  their  eyes,  have 
enrolled  themselves  in  the  devilish  service.  Most  men 
would  have  consulted  their  safety  in  flight,  and  kept  the 
frightful  secret  to  themselves.  Not  one  in  a  million  would 
have  acted  with  the  energy,  fearlessness  of  life,  and  stern 
determination  of  purpose,  of  Virgil  Stewart. 

To  resume  the  thread  of  our  narrative.  Upon  arriving 
at  Erwin's,  Stewart  informed  him,  as  far  as  he  dared,  of 
his  momentous  discoveries,  and  warned  him  to  observe 
great  caution  in  the  conducting  of  his  plot  for  MurrePs 
capture. 

On  the  next  day  Murrel  arrived,  and  on  the  succeeding, 
left  with  Stewart  for  home.  They  pursued  the  same  road 
over  which  they  had  already  travelled,  and  parted  near 
the  village  of  Wesley  ;  Murrel  hastening  home,  and 
Stewart  turning  off  upon  a  by-road,  until  the  former 
should  have  had  sufficient  time  to  pass  through  the  vil- 
lage, and  then  hastened  to  enter  it,  and  to  visit  the  per- 
son who  had  assisted  him  when  he  had  before  passed 
through  on  his  eventful  journey.  On  the  next  night  he 
arrived  at  Henning's  house,  and  there  he  related  some 
part  of  his  extraordinary  adventures. 


370  THE   WOLF   TRAPPED. 

Before  Stewart,  fatigued  and  worn  both  in  body  and 
mind  as  he  was,  had  arisen,  Henning  had  summoned  a 
number  of  his  neighbors  to»consult  with  them.  But  one 
opinion  prevailed  ;  that  it  was  necessary  to  collect  a  suf- 
ficient force  and  arrest  Murrel.  Stewart  was  somewhat 
indignant  at  Henning's  proceedings,  and  remonstrated 
against  what  he  deemed  a  too  precipitate  course  ;  but  in 
vain. 

Murrel  was  arrested  by  an  officer  with  a  numerous 
posse  of  armed  men,  on  the  same  night.  Even  while  upon 
the  route  to  the  jail,  some  of  his  followers  must  have  suc- 
ceeded in  mixing  with  the  guard,  for  the  bands  which 
secured  him  were  cut ;  a  pistol  was  fired  from  a  piece  of 
woods  at  Stewart,  and  the  ball  cut  his  bridle-rein  in 
two. 

As  soon  as  Murrel  was  incarcerated,  Stewart  and  young 
Henning  set  out  to  obtain  testimony,  and  the  villain  him- 
self prepared,  if  possible,  to  defeat  them.  News  of  his 
capture  had  been  sent  through  the  entire  clan,  and  they 
were  all  up  and  on  the  move,  as  spiteful,  determined,  and 
ready  for  mischief,  as  the  disturbed  denizens  of  a  hornets' 
nest. 

It  is  a  miracle  that  Stewart  escaped  from  assassination. 
He  was  surrounded  by  unknown  dangers  ;  men  whom  he 
deemed  his  friends — even  two  persons  in  whose  hands  he 
had  intrusted  his  property,  and  with  one  of  whom  he 
lived — proved  afterwards  to  have  been  of  the  number  of 
the  Land  Pirates. 

His  every  step  was  dogged  ;  his  house  was  watched 
at  night ;  an  effort  was  made  to  enter  his  room,  and  mur- 
der him  in  bed,  which  was  frustrated  by  his  watchfulness  ; 
for,  discovering  that  there  were  persons  prowling  about 


FLIGHT  AND   RE-CAPTURE.  371 

his  house,  he  remained  at  the  window,  and  shot  a  man  as 
he  was  about  entering  it.  At  last,  an  attempt  was  made 
to  poison  him  at  the  house  wkere  he  boarded,  from  which 
he  was  saved  by  his  having  most  providentially  dis- 
covered the  true  character  and  designs  of  the  host  and 
hostess. 

This  discovery  was  in  keeping  with  his  other  wonderful 
adventures.  He  met  one  of  the  gang  who  did  not  know 
him,  and  suspecting  who  the  man  might  be,  tried  him  with 
the  robber-sign,  and  found  his  suspicions  verified.  From 
him,  Stewart  learned  the  intended  rescue  of  Murrel ;  his 
plan  to  have  him  (Stewart)  arrested  for  counterfeiting, 
and  the  different  preparations  for  defence  if  brought  to 
trial. 

Murrel  escaped,  fled,  was  finally  traced  to  Florence, 
Alabama,  recaptured,  and  taken  back  to  Madison. 

"He  did  not  then  by  any  means  despair,  and  having 
engaged  one  of  the  most  skilful  lawyers  in  the  state, 
and  himself  prepared  a  vast  amount  of  suborned  testi- 
mony, he'  hoped  to  escape  from  justice,  and  to  fix  upon 
his  enemy  the  brand  of  infamy.  Here  again  his  cal- 
culations were  overthrown  in  a  manner  as  startling  to 
him  and  his  friends  as  it  was  unexpected.  Stewart 
had  'taken  down  the  names  of  every  one  of  the  clan 
whom  Murrel  had  named  to  him  upon  the  journey.  This 
he  did  while  riding  by  his  side,  writing  them  upon 
scaps  of  paper,  or  if  impossible  then,  at  the  next  time 
that  he  had  an  opportunity.  When  upon  the  stand, 
he  narrated  in  a  clear  and  concise  manner,  the  whole 
of  his  adventures,  and  drew  from  his  pocket  the  very 
scraps  of  paper  upon  which  were  written  the  names  of  the 
conspirators. 


372  THE   WOLF   TRAPPED. 

There  was  a  great  confusion  in  Murrel's  camp.  His 
witnesses  walked,  one  by  one,  quietly  out  of  the  Court- 
house, until  all  the  important  ones  were  among  the  miss- 
ing ;  they  were  the  very  men  whose  names  had  just  been 
read. 

Murrel's  last  hope  fell  to  the  ground  ;  he  was  convicted 
of  negro-stealing,  and  sentenced  to  ten  years'  imprison- 
ment in  the  State  Penitentiary. 

Great  was  the  consternation  of  the  clan  at  the  incarce- 
ration of  their  leader,  and  at  the  frustration  of  their 
bloody  plot. 

Many  of  the  Grand  Council,  however,  did  not  aban- 
don their  design,  trusting  that  a  story,  apparently  so 
incredible  as  Stewart  had  related,  would  not  be  gene- 
rally believed  by  the  people  of  the  South  West,  and 
also  relying  on  the  number  and  great  dissemination  of 
the  clan,  whereby  a  thousand  tongues  would  be  engaged 
in  blackening  Stewart's  character,  and  ridiculing  his  tale. 
The  latter,  however,  determined  to  persevere  in  despite  of 
difficulty,  danger,  and  defamation,  and  in  February,  1835, 
published  a  small  pamphlet  which  contained  an  account 
of  his  adventures,  and  an  exposure  of  the  plot. 

The  time  for  the  general  rising  of  the  negroes  had 
been  originally  the  25th  of  December,  1835,  which  was 
selected  as  the  Christmas  holiday,  always  a  saturnalia 
for  the  Southern  negroes,  and  they  might  assemble  with- 
out suspicion.  The  attention  of  the  people,  however, 
was  completely  awakened,  the  belief  in  Stewart's  story 
general,  and  it  was  evident  to  even  the  most  sanguine 
of  the  conspirators  that  this  time  must  be  abandoned. 

Ruel  Blake,  who  was  the  acknowledged  chief  of  the 
Mississippi  squad,  after  consulting  with  his  brother  vil- 


CHANGE   OF   TIME.  373 

lains,  issued  his  mandate  that  the  time  for  action  must 
be  accelerated,  and  fixed  upon  the  4th  of  July.  There  is 
no  doubt  but  that  Murrel  himself  was  advised  of  this 
change  of  plan,  and  that  he  acquiesced  in  it. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
JUDGE  LYNCH'S  INTEKFEKENCE. 

BLAKE  found  the  Mississippi  conspirators  firm  in  their  bad 
purpose,  and  willing  to  second  him  ;  but  those  of  the 
adjoining  States  were  terror-stricken  and  demurred,  so 
that  he  was  forced  to  confine  his  operations  to  the  former. 

Every  preparation  was  made,  and  the  whole  affair  actu- 
ally conducted  to  within  eight  days  of  the  proposed  crisis, 
when  an  exposure  took  place.  A  lady  residing  in  Livings- 
ton county,  who  had  been  induced  to  watch  her  slaves  very 
closely,  from  a  singular  alteration  in  their  demeanor,  over- 
heard a  conversation  between  two  of  them  on  the  night  of 
the  26th  June,  which  filled  her  with  terror  and  apprehen- 
sion. She  immediately  consulted  with  her  son,  and  one  of 
the  parties,  a  girl,  was  summoned  into  the  house,  informed 
of  what  had  been  already  heard,  and  finally  induced  to 
confess. 

The  information  was  laid  before  the  "  Committee  of 
Safety"  of  the  county,  early  the  next  morning,  and  they 
proceeded  to  investigate  the  subject  in  the  most  active 
manner.  The  knowledge  of  the  conspiracy  was  traced 
back  to  four  slaves,  who  were  the  ringleaders  among  the 
negroes,  two  of  them  preachers  ;  and  their  guilt  being  fully 
established,  they  were  hung. 

Up  to  this  moment  no  agency  of  a  white  man  had  been 
discovered  ;  but  on  the  next  day  further  information  was 
furnished  the  Committee,  and  then  through  this  second 


THE   DISCOVERY.  376 

channel  they  at  last  reached  the  fountain-head  of  the  mis- 
chief. 

"Want  of  space  prevents  a  description  of  the  scenes 
that  followed,  but  I  will  glance  at  the  proceedings  in 
Livingston. 

With  every  certainty  of  the  correct  and  forcible  admi- 
nistration of  the  law,  there  would  have  been  now  no  time 
for  its  formal  delays  ;  but  knowing,  as  the  citizens  did,  that 
they  stood,  as  it  were,  upon  a  volcano  ready  to  explode, 
that  the  law  was  utterly  impotent  in  the  premises,  and 
that  no  man  could  be  depended  upon  save  him,  who  went 
heart  and  hand  with  them,  in  crushing  the  conspiracy  in 
its  bud  ;  but  one  course  was  open.  The  Committee  did 
all  that  could  have  been  expected  from  them.  As  fair  a 
trial  as  it  was  possible  for  them  to  give,  was  allowed  the 
accused.  The  Governor  of  the  State  was  consulted,  and 
issued  a  proclamation  approving  of  their  proceedings. 

The  most  important  conspirators  that  were  living  in 
Livingston  were  Ruel  Blake,  Cotton,  Saunders,  Donovan, 
and  Dean.  A  man  named  Lee  Smith  was  found  guilty  of 
some  knowledge  of  the  plot,  but  allowed  to  depart  upon 
the  condition  that  he  would  leave  the  State.  He  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  infuriated  citizens  of  Hinds  county,  and 
was  slain.  Two  Earls  were  also  arrested,  and  made  con- 
fessions. One  hung  himself  in  his  cell,  and  the  other  was 
sent  to  Vicksburg,  and  we  believe  escaped. 

The  guilt  of  these  men  was  proved  by  the  most  clear  and 
indubitable  evidence  ;  by  their  confessions  upon  the  gal- 
lows, and  by  their  implicating  one  another. 

Here  is  the  confession  of  Dr.  Cotton  : — 

"  I  acknowledge  my  guilt.  I  was  one  of  the  principal  ones,  with  Boyd 
and  Ruel  Blake,  in  getting  up  this  conspiracy.  I  am  a  member  of  the 


376  JUDGE  LYNCH'S  INTERFERENCE. 

Murrel  clan,  and  belong  to  what  Ve  call  the  Grand  Council.  I  have  coun- 
selled with  them  on  an  island  in  the  Mississippi,  and  once  near  Columbus, 
this  spring.  Our  object  in  undertaking  this  clan  was  not  to  liberate  the 
negroes,  but  to  get  plunder.  It  has  been  in  contemplation  several  years, 
but  fell  through  on  Murrel's  conviction  and  imprisonment.  We  sought  to 
revive  it  on  the  plan  laid  down  in  Stewart's  pamphlet  From  the  exposure 
of  our  plans  iu  that  publication,  we  feared  the  citizens  would  be  on  their 
guard  on  the  night  of  the  25th  December,  so  we  thought  we  would  take  by 
surprise  on  the  night  of  the  4th  July,  and  it  would  have  been  to-night  (and 
may  be  yet)  but  for  the  detection  of  our  plans.  There  are  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  of  our  clan  in  this  state.  Boyd  is  the  leader,  and  the  Earls, 
who  swore  for  us  on  the  1st,  were  his  main  men.  Saunders  was  in  the 
plot.  Blake's  boy,  Peter,  was  justly  punished,  for  he  was  very  active  in 
corrupting  his  fellow  negroes.  There  are  arms  and  ammunition  deposited 
in  Hinds  county,  near  Raymond. 

"  (Signed)  JOSHUA  COTTON. 

"July  4th,  1835." 

The  gang  of  villains  whose  projects  were  thus  frustrated 
was  very  far  from  being  annihilated.  They  had  learned 
too  well  the  benefits  to  be  derived  from  a  mutual  system 
of  assistance  and  co-operation,  by  a  combination  of  per- 
sons in  the  different  walks  of  life, — from  a  proper  appor- 
tionment of  labor,  in  the  true  spirit  of  Adam  Smith's  doc- 
trine of  economy, — to  again  recommence  the  career  of  ini- 
quity, unaided  and  unabetted. 

They  had  learned  that  by  proper  management,  by  the 
application  of  brute  force,  of  threats,  of  example  in  some 
situations,  and  the  juggling  of  courts,  witnesses,  and  juries 
in  others,  that  any  confederate  was  comparatively  safe 
from  every  danger  of  being  overtaken  by  retributive  just- 
ice, save  by  the  dreaded  and  fatal  Lynch  Law. 

The  members  of  the  band  generally  changed  their  posts  ; 
those  who  were  planters  and  merchants,  finding  themselves 
objects  of  suspicion,  sold  out, — often  to  others  of  the  clan, 


EMIGRATION    OF   THE    CLAN.  377 

whose  characters  were  as  yet  unknown  to  their  new  neigh- 
bors,— and  moved  to  some  adjoining  state. 

The  Grand  Council  was  probably  done  away  with,  and 
having  now  no  acknowledged  leader,  they  divided  them- 
selves into  numerous  small  parties,  each  with  their  chosen 
chief  and  manager,,  unconnected  with  the  others  in  any 
momentous  project,  but  still  known  to  each  other,  and  fur- 
nishing shelter  and  assistance  to  any  villain  or  villains  who 
might  require  it. 

Many  of  them  emigrated  to  Texas,  and  it  is  of  this  sec- 
tion that  I  would  speak,  being  intimately  acquainted  with 
their  movements  from  personal  observation. 

One  of  the  first  who  met  with  his  deserts  was  an  old 
man  by  the  name  of  Yokum,  who  had  been  the  terror  of 
the  part  of  Louisiana  .where  he  formerly  resided,  we 
believe  upon  Plaquemine  Brule,  or  in  that  vicinity.  It 
has  often  been  told  us  by  old  settlers  from  that  portion 
of  the  state,  that  not  one  of  Yokum's  family,  or  of  the 
gang  whom  he  kept  around  him,  had  met  with  a  natural 
death. 

This  patriarch  in  crime  selected  "  Pine  Island  Prairie," 
in  the  lower  part  of  Eastern  Texas,  a  place  where  he  would 
be  but  little  troubled  with  inquisitive  neighbors  ;  and 
where,  from  its  location  upon  the  road  leading  from 
Belew's  Ferry  upon  the  Sabine  through  Liberty,  and  cross- 
ing the  San  Jacinto  at  the  Attascaseta  ford  to  Houston, 
he  would  be  sure  to  entertain,  that  is,  '*  keep"  or  "  receive," 
almost  every  traveller  that  chose  that  route. 

Knowing  the  advantages  of  a  good  character  at  home, 
he  soon,  by  his  liberality,  apparent  good-humor,  and  oblig- 
ing disposition,  succeeded  in  ingratiating  himself  with  the 
few  settlers  who  were,  with  backwoods  courtesy,  called 


378  JUDGE  LYNCH'S  INTERFERENCE. 

neighbors, — any  one  within  fifteen  miles  being  entitled  to 
the  benefit  of  the  term. 

The  first  thing  that  attracted  general  suspicion  and 
inquiry,  was  the  appearance  of  his  stud.  Planters  and 
stock-raisers  in  Texas  keep  many  horses,  but  they  are  usu- 
ally of  the  small  breed  of  Louisiana  Creole  ponies,  or  those 
of  the  Spanish  kind.  The  larger  breed  of  horses  from  the 
Northern  or  Western  States  are  designated  as  "  American 
horses,"  and  seldom  met  with,  unless  perchance  a  physi- 
cian, lawyer,  or  wealthy  planter  may  keep  one  as  his  espe- 
cial saddle-horse.  Travellers,  however,  are  generally 
mounted  upon  them/ 

No  Texan  can  conceal  his  stock  of  cattle,  or  his  stud,  as 
every  acre  of  prairie  and  timber  is  thoroughly  hunted  over 
once  and  often  twice  a  year,  by  large  parties  of  stock- 
raisers,  who  join  together  and  ride  over  the  whole  country 
within  twenty  and  thirty  miles  of  their  residences,  and 
very  frequently  much  farther,  gathering  every  four-footed 
beast  into  the  nearest  pen,  and  selecting  out  their  own  for 
the  purpose  of  branding  them.  Ignorant,  except  of  their 
own  peculiar  business  ;  their  knowledge  of  everything  per- 
taining to  cattle  ;  their  recollection  of.  and  skill  in  mana- 
ging them,  is  wonderful.  It  is  not  surprising,  then,  that 
the  large  and  increasing  stock  of  fine  American  horses, 
which  were  found  grazing  in  the  prairie  near  Yokum's, 
excited  their  suspicion.  Inquiries  for  missing  travellers, 
and  the  non-appearance  of  some  who  were  known  to  have 
stopped  upon  the  road  at  houses  east  of  Yokum's,  but  who 
did  not  make  their  appearance  again,  furnished  additional 
cause.  At  length,  by  a  very  singular  train  of  events, 
things  came  to  a  crisis. 

A  man  named  Carey,  an  industrious,  hard-working  per- 


A    PRETTY   QUARREL.  379 

son,  settled  upon  a  prairie,  near  Cedar  Bayou,  in  company 
with  a  Mr.  Page.  They  owned  a  small  tract,  and  culti- 
vated a  small  farm*  jointly. 

Near  them — in  fact,  the  fences  of  their  plantations 
joined — lived  a  Mr.  Britton,  a  blustering,  quarrelsome 
Down-easter,  who,  in  consideration  of  his  Goliah-like  pro- 
portions, determined  upon  ruling  the  prairie. 

Britton,  Page,  and  Carey  occupied  the  same  "  league" 
of  land,  and  ere  long  the  former  was  embroiled  with  the 
two  latter  in  a  violent  dispute,  commencing  with  a  diffi- 
culty in  the  division  of  the  property,  and  aggravated  by 
that  fruitful  subject,  a  quarrel  about  their  dogs. 

Page  kept  sheep,  but  no  dogs  ;  and  Britton  dogs,  but  no 
sheep.  Britton's  favorite  dog  killed  Page's  sheep,  and 
Page  or  Carey  killed  Britton's  dog.  Here,  now,  was  a 
germ  for  a  serious  difficulty,  and  in  itself  a  very  pretty 
quarrel  as  it  stood.  Soon  after,  Britton  met  Carey  upon 
the  prairie,  and  horse-whipped  him.  Threats  and  recrimi- 
nations followed,  but  nothing  serious  resulted  from  them 
for  nearly  a  year. 

At  last,  something  again  excited  Britton's  ire,  and  he 
sent  word  to  Carey  that  he  was  braiding  a  lash  for  his 
especial  benefit — a  lash  that  would  cut  him  to  the  bone. 

Carey's  business,  that  afternoon,  caused  him  to  visit  a 
neighbor,  a  new  settler,  who  was  living,  pro  tern.,  in  a 
small  log  peri,  or  house.  Here  he  found  his  antagonist, — 
sitting  in  the  door,  and  leaning  his  head  back  against  the 
door-post, — and  also  two  or  three  other  persons,  who  had 
called  upon  the  new  comer. 

Garey  entered,  placed  a  rifle  which  he  was  carrying 
upon  the  bed,  and.  after  remaining  some  half  an  hour, 
during  which  time  nothing  had  passed  between  him  and 


380  JUDGE  LYNCH'S  INTERFERENCE. 

his  enemy,  rose  to  retire.  His  gun  lay  with  its  muzzle 
towards  the  door,  and  Carey  stepped  round  the  bed,  as  if 
to  raise  the  gun  by  the  breech.  As  soon  as  he  put  his 
hands  upon  the  piece,  it  was  discharged,  and  a  ball  passed 
through  Britton's  vbrain.  He  fell  dead  instantly,  without 
groan  or  word.  I  am  in  error,  however,  in  stating  that  he 
fell  dead  ;  for  so  quickly  did  death  supervene  the  rifle's 
report,  that  he  remained  sitting  bolt  upright,  and  the  spec- 
tators did  not  know  until  Carey  had  left  the  room,  that 
anything  more'serious  than  an  accidental  discharge  of  the 
rifle  had  taken  place. 

The  perpetrator  of  this  homicide  (whether  accidental  or 
intentional  none  but  his  Maker  and  himself  can  tell)  imme- 
diately fled  from  the  county,  and  took  refuge  with  old 
Yokum,  probably  judging  that  his  late  deed  would  be  a 
iitting  letter  of  introduction. 

Yokum  received  him  with  open  arms,  promised  to  pro- 
tect and  defend  him,  and,  if  necessary,  to  secure  his 
retreat  from  the  county'in  safety. 

This,  however,  was  very  far  from  his  real  design,  and  he 
kept  Carey  housed  for  a  long  time,  a  prey  to  agonizing 
fears,  which  were  not  allayed  by  the  tales  he  was  told  of 
the  threats  that  the  county  had  made  of  taking  him  by 
force,  and  lynching  him. 

Thus  working  upon  his  fears,  Yokum  prevented  his  pri- 
soner (for  such  he  really  was)  from  carrying  out  the  inten- 
tion which  he  had  expressed  soon  after  his  arrival,  of  deli- 
vering himself  up  for  trial  as  soon  as  the  momentary 
excitement  of  the  people  had  died  away  ;  and  ultimately 
persuaded  him  of  the  absolute  necessity  that  existed  to  dis- 
pose of  his  property  in  Texas  as  best  he  might,  and  then 
to  fly  from  the  country.  Yokum  offered  to  purchase  the 


A   UACKWOODS  ALSATIA.  381 

"  improvements,"  which  were  valuable,  and  to  facilitate  his 
exodus  and  that  of  Page's  family  ;  and  placing  full  faith 
in  his  honesty  of  purpose,  Carey  gave  him  a  letter  to  his 
friend,  directing^him  to  make  a  deed  of  sale  of  the  planta- 
tion, &c.,  to  Yokum. 

Yokum  immediately  rode  over  to  the  scene  of  the  late 
disturbance,  and  finding  Page  ready  to  comply  with  his 
partner's  wishes,  left  with  him  several  of  his  fine  American 
horses,  with  which  the  family  were  to  escape,  and  which 
was  to  be  the  first  payment,  together  with  a  sum  of  money 
which  he  promised  them, — towards  the  purchase  of  the 
estate. 

During  Carey's  residence  in  this  backwoods  Alsatia,  he 
had  formed  an  acquaintance  with  one  of  the  clan  who 
seemed  to  have  taken  a  fancy  to  him,  and  to  whom  he  pro- 
bably was  indebted  for  his  life.  While  Yokum  was  absent, 
this,  person  opened  Carey's  eyes  as  to  the  whole  plot,  which 
was  now  drawing  to  its  close.  The  whole  property  was 
to  be  transferred  to  Yokum  by  Carey's  agent,  Page,  for  a 
nominal  consideration,  and  Yokum  promised  to  hold  it 
until  he  could  sell  it  to  advantage,  and  then  to  send  the 
money  to  Carey,  or  to  pay  it  over  to  his  agent.  In  the 
meanwhile,  the  horses  were  given,  or  lent,  and  a  small  sum 
of  money.  ;  •  . 

This,  however,  was  all  pretence,  and  Yokum's  true  design 
was  to  obtain  a  legal  title  to  the  plantation,  and  then  to 
dispose  of  Carey  in  such  a  manner  that  there  would  be  no 
danger  of  his  turning  up  again.  There  was  another  neces- 
sity for  this  course :  Carey  had  learnt  too  many  and  too 
dangerous  secrets,  for  Yokum  to  trust  him  out  of  his  sight. 
Carey  escaped,  and  fled  to  the  house  of  one  of  the  most 
influential  men  in  Liberty  county,  to  whom  he  confided  all 


382  JUDGE  LYNCH'S  INTERFERENCE. 

his  knowledge  of  Yokum  and  his  doings,  and  also  stated 
his  intention  of  delivering  himself  up  immediately  for 
trial. 

The  people  were  called  together,  and  determined  to 
take  the  law  in  their  own  hands,  to  punish  the  guilty,  and 
to  drive  the  entire  clan  out  of  the  county. 

Upon  their  arrival  at  Yokum's  house,  they  found  that 
he  had  escaped,  and  setting  themselves  to  work  to  make 
such  investigation  as  they  could,  soon  satisfied  themselves 
of  his  undoubted  crime. 

A  negro  informed  them  where  the  bones  of  a  traveller 
could  be  found,  viz.,  in  an  old  well  ;  and  those  of  another 
were  said  to  have  been  discovered  bleaching  upon  the 
prairie.  Yokum's  family  were  ordered  to  leave  the  house, 
the  furniture  was  removed,  and  the  premises  set  on  fire. 
The  family,  and  all  of  the  hangers-on,  had  a  certain  num- 
ber of  days  allowed  them  to  move  their  effects  and  leave 
the  county,  being  threatened  with  death  if  they  ever 
returned.  This  last  measure  was  one  of  necessity,  as  the 
safety  of  all  those  concerned  in  their  removal  depended 
upon  it. 

A  party  set  forth  upon  Yokum's  trail,  and  succeeded  in 
finding  him  at  a  house  near  Spring  Creek,  in  the  present 
county  of  Montgomery,  and  then  known  as'  Spring  Creek 
county.  The  culprit  was  secured  and  carried  some  miles 
on  the  homeward  route,  when  his  captors  dismounted, 
informed  him  that  his  time  had  come,  and  giving  him  one 
short  half  hour  to  repent  the  villanies  of  a  long  lifetime, 
shot  him  through  the  heart. 

The  family  of  Yokum,  and  all  connected  with  them,  left 
the  county  and  emigrated  further  west,  denouncing  the 
Lynching  party  and  swearing  that  they  would  be  revenged 


A  THREAT   BORNE   OUT.  383 

upon  every  one  who  had  a  hand  in  the  affair.  There  is 
no  doubt  but  that  some  of  these  threats  would  have  been 
fulfilled,  had  not  the  citizens  of  Liberty  county  proved 
that  they  were  terribly  in  earnest,  in  their  determination 
to  take  instant  and  fatal  measures,  with  any  one  of  the 
clan  who  should  dare  to  again  cross  the  county  line. 

The  least  objectionable  of  all  of  Yokum's  tribe,  one  of 
his  sons,  Christopher — perhaps  the  only  one  against 
whom  some  heinous  crime  could  not  have  been  esta- 
blished— had  married  but  a  short  time  before  the  general 
breaking  up  of  the  gang.  His  wife  refused  to  accom- 
pany or  to  follow  him,  but  promised  to  live  with  him  if  he 
would  return ;  and,  after  waiting  a  year,  he  determined  to 
do  so.  Whether  this  was  a  mere  ruse  to  obtain  a  foot- 
hold again,  and  to  provide  a  house  of  refuge  for  others  to 
carry  out  their  threatened  revenge,  I  know  not,  but  it 
proved  a  fatal  affair  for  him.  As  soon  as  the  sheriff 
heard  of  his  presence,  he  immediately  put  him  in  the  jail 
at  Beaumont,  in  order  to  save  his  life,  and  if  possible 
assist  him  to  escape.  But  all  precautions  were  useless. 
The  people  rose  immediately  upon  learning  of  Yokum's 
arrival,  and  taking  him  out  of  jail,  hung  him  upon  the 
first  tree. 

Thus  was  entirely  destroyed  the  branch  of  the  Murrel 
gang  in  Liberty  county,  and  the  prompt  action  of  deter- 
mined men  prevented  it  from  becoming  an  abiding-place 
for  thieves,  and  a  den  of  murderers. 

Concerning  the  after  fate  of  Murrel,  and  his  conqueror, 
Stewart,  many  contradictory  reports  are  in  circulation.  I 
have  seen  a  statement  that  the  former,  broken  down  in 
health  and  spirits  by  his  long  confinement,  died  of  con- 
sumption soon  after  his  release,  and  that  the  latter  was'  at 


384  JUDGE  LYNCH'S  INTERFERENCE. 

the  present  time  a  wealthy  farmer  in  the  interior  of  Penn- 
sylvania. With  regard  to  Stewart,  I  know  this  to  be 
erroneous,  and  have  good  reason  to  believe  that  Murrel 
did  not  die  from  the  disease  or  in  the  manner  related. 

After  Murrel's  imprisonment,  and  the  eclaircissement 
which  followed,  furnishing  proof  indisputable  of  the  cor- 
rectness of  Stewart's  statements,  his  enemies,  the  yet 
undiscovered  members  of  the  clan,  in  a  thousand  ways 
sought  to  poison  the  public  ear.  They  denounced  him  as 
a  member  .of  the  clan,  induced  by  hope  of  reward,  by 
cowardice,  or  a  spirit  of  revenge,  to  betray  the  plot. 
When  a  man  has  hundreds  of  secret  enemies  thrusting 
their  stealthy  but  fatal  daggers  into  his  character,  with 
but  few  friends  who  can  but  ward  off  the  more  open 
blows,  his  chance  for  obtaining  even-handed  justice  from 
any  community  is  small,  and  so  it  proved  with  our  hero. 
For  a  time,  his  popularity  was  great,  and  the  Legislature 
'of  Mississippi  voted  him  ten  thousand  dollars  to  pay  his 
expenses  to  and  in  Europe,  under  the  impression  that  his 
life  was  in  great  danger  in  any  part  of  this  country. 
Stewart  declined  the  money,  refused  to  leave,  and  deter- 
mining to  test  his  popularity  and  the  strength  of  his  ene- 
mies, ran  for  Congress,  but  was  defeated.  Justly  dis- 
gusted and  indignant  at  the  ingratitude  of  those  for 
whom  he  had  sacrificed  so  much,  he  left  the  state  and 
country,  and  settled  upon  Peach  Creek,  within  a  few 
miles  of  the  Colorado  river,  in  Western  Texas. 

Even  here  he  deemed  his  life  in  constant  danger,  and 
from  this  time  did  not  dare  to  venture  out  from  his 
cabin  after  dark,  to  have  a  light  in  his  room,  or  to  sleep 
in  the  same  chamber  as  his  wife.  His  hair  and  beard  were 
neglected,  and  he  sought  to  disguise  his  appearance,  but 


DEATH  OF  STEWART  AND  MURREL.        385 

all  these  precautions  would  have  been  of  but  little  avail 
had  not  a  secret  but  potent  fetter  been  applied  to  restrain 
the  hands  of  his  revengeful  enemies.  It  was  said  openly, 
by  those  of  whose  knowledge  in  the  premises  there  could 
be  but  little  doubt,  that  Murrel  had  commanded  his 
friends  to  let  Stewart  alone,  and  to  reserve  him  for  his 
own  vengeance. 

Immediately  after  his  release,  he  left  for  Texas,  but  had 
scarcely  crossed  the  frontier  when  he  was  attacked  by  a 
fever  which  speedily  terminated  his  infamous  career. 
Stewart  survived  him  a  short  time,  dying  a  natural  death. 

Murrel  was  no  common  man.  Possessed  of  an  indomi- 
table energy,  great  quickness  of  perception,  an  unshaken 
nerve,  a  power  to  influence  and  control  all  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact,  it  is  probable  that  under  different  cir- 
cumstances, and  unexposed  to  those  temptations  which 
early  led  him  astray,  he  might  have  been  an  honor  and  a 
blessing  to  his  country  in  the  council  or  in  the  field. 


IT 


CHAPTER  VII. 

DEFEAT   OF   THE   GAMBLERS. 

THE  application  of  Lynch  Law  in  large  cities,  in  densely 
populated  counties,  or  in  any  place  where  law  and  order 
rule,  is  to  be  deprecated  as  the  greatest  of  misfortunes. 
Where  such  rude  justice  is  not  only  excusable,  but  peremp- 
torily necessary,  it  yields,  after  a  short  space,  to  the  more 
slowly-moving  and  deliberate  decision  of  the  law  of  the 
land.  But  when  peace  and  order  have  been  once  fairly 
established,  to  permit  of  their  overturn,  for  a  moment,  is  to 
establish  a  precedent  for  riot  and  murder — to  open  the 
door  for  anarchy  and  incalculable  mischief. 

The  hanging  of  the  gamblers  at  Vicksburg — an  affair 
which  made  quite  as  much  noise  in  the  world  as  the  burn- 
ing at  the  stake  of  so  many  martyrs  would  have  done — is 
by  no  means  a  case  in  point,  and  has  been  very  unjustly, 
although  almost  universally,  censured. 

It  occurred  during  the  Murrel  excitement,  when  it  was 
known  that  the  gamblers  as  a  body  belonged  to,  or  were 
cognizant  of,  the  conspiracy.  At  this  time,  every  boat 
that  plied  upon  the  Western  rivers  was  infested  by  gam- 
blers, every  village  and  town  overrun  with  them.  Reck- 
less men,  without  hope  or  fear,  they  herded  together,  set- 
ting all  law,  both  divine  and  human,  at  defiance,  and  shield- 
ing their  companions  from  the  consequences  of  any  act, 
however  heinous.  Their  only  argument  was  the  Bowie- 
knife,  their  only  rejoinder  the  pistol-bullet. 


DAKGIN  "LEADS  THE  COLUMN."  387 

The  movement  against  them  was  not  confined  to  Vicks- 
burg,  but  with  scarcely  an  exception,  they  were  driven 
from  all  the  minor  cities  of  the  South  West.  At  this  time 
the  people  became  aware  of  the  imminent  danger  which 
they  incurred,  and  the  gamblers,  in  the  very  spirit  of  the 
old  adage,  "  Quern  Dcus  i)ult  perdere"  etc.,  conducted  them- 
selves with  increased  audacity.  They  mustered  in  such 
force  at  Montgomery,  Alabama,  as  to  set  at  naught  all 
municipal  authorities  and  regulations.  A  hotel  which 
they  frequented  was  unlicensed,  and  the  keeper,  prompted 
by  his  customers,  refused  to  pay  fine  or  tax  ;  and  when  an 
attempt  was  made  to  enforce  some  of  the  more  potent 
arguments— the  stocks  and  stones — of  the  law,  the  officers 
were  met  with  closed  doors,  and  the  appearance  of  a  very 
ugly  assortment  of  fire-arms  at  the  windows. 

Forbearance  ceased  to  be  a  virtue,  and  the  citizens,  assem- 
bling in  numbers,  declared  that  they  would,  at  any  cost, 
rid  their  city  of  the  scum  which  had  infested  it.  Arming 
themselves,  they  proceeded  to  invest  the  enemy's  head- 
quarters, which  they  found  prepared  to  sustain  a  siege—- 
the doors  barricaded,  and  the  windows  filled  with  despe- 
radoes, who  dared  them  to  advance,  and  swore  with  hor- 
rid oaths,  that  the  first  man  or  men  who  should  attempt  to 
force  the  door,  or  even  approach  it,  should  be  perforated 
with  bullets. 

Then  occurred  an  act  of  cool  and  determined,  almost 
unexampled,  bravery  upon  the  part  of  Edward  Dargin.  at 
this  moment  a  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court.  Seeing  that 
his  party  hesitated,  he  seized  an  axe,  and  deliberately 
advanced  to  the  door.  The  gamblers  covered  him  with 
their  rifles,  but  entirely  disregarding  the  danger,  he 
ordered  the  citizens  to  advance,  fire  the  house,  and  mas- 


388  DEFEAT   OF   THE    GAMBLEES. 

sacre  every  man  within  it,  if  the  besieged  dared  to  fire 
upon  him. 

The  cool  bravery  of  the  man  cowed  the  ruffians,  and 
Dargin  dashed  in  the  door  with  his  axe,  apparently  regard- 
less of  the  muzzles  of  eleven  rifles  directed  against  him. 
The  gamblers  submitted,  and  left  Montgomery,  where, 
had  it  not  been  for  this  act  of  heroism,  a  more  bloody 
tragedy  than  that  of  Vicksburg  would  have  been  enacted. 

In  Tuscaloosa,  the  gamblers  were  driven  out  at  the 
point  of  the  bayonet,  or,  to  speak  more  correctly,  at  the 
muzzle  of  the  rifle.  The  other  towns  imitated  their  exam- 
ple, especially  those  upon  the  Mississippi  and  Red  River. 
For  a  time  the  chevaliers  tfindustrie  scarcely  dared  to 
appear  at  all  upon  the  boats,  and  when  they  did,  were 
forced  to  conduct  themselves  with  great  circumspection, 
for  upon  the  least  disturbance,  the  boat  was  rounded  to  at 
the  next  wood-yard,  and  the  culprit  discharged.  In  any 
aggravated  case,  some  of  the  uninhabited  islands  of  the 
Mississippi  were  colonized  by  a  set  of  modern  Robinson 
Crusoes,  whose  chance  of  escape  was  rather  slim. 

At  Yicksburg  and  Natchez,  they  had  reigned  supreme. 
They  obtained  complete  and  undisputed  possession  of  a 
certain  portion  of  the  latter  place,  known  as  Natchez- 
under-the-Hill.  This  was  of  necessity  the  landing,  and 
where  all  the  warehouses  for  cotton  and  heavy  merchan- 
dise were  located,  surrounded  by  dancing,  drinking,  and 
gambling  houses.  No  man's  life  was  safe  in  the  streets 
one  moment  after  dark,  and  passengers  of  the  steamboats 
lying  there,  who  returned  to  their  boats  after  sundown, 
ran  through  the  lower  town  as  if  the  avenger  of  blood 
•were  behind  them.  The  gamblers  were  expelled  in  a 
body,  and  shortly  afterwards  the  lower  town  was  de- 


THE  NATCHEZ  AFFAIR.  389 

stroyed  by  fire,  doubtless  an  act  of  revenge  on  their  part. 
Vicksburg  boasted  of'  no  "  tfnder-the-hill,"  and  so  the 
gamblers,  unable  to  colonize,  as  in  the  case  of  Natchez, 
determined  to  take  the  town  itself,  or  at  least  to  hold  all 
the  peaceable  citizens  in  subjection,  and  all  authority  at 
defiance.  So,  for  a  time  they  did,  but  their  harvest  time 
came  at  last.  In  a  quarrel,  one  of  the  party  shot  a  Dr. 
Bradley,  and  when  an  attempt  was  made  to  arrest  them, 
they  barricaded  the  doors  as  their  friends  had  done  in 
Montgomery.  Had  they  submitted  quietly  at  first,  their 
fate  would  not  have  been  more  severe  than  that  of  the  lat- 
ter ;  but  when  the  armed  citizens  approached  the  house, 
they  were  fired  upon,  and  several  wounded,  if  not  killed. 

It  needed  but  this  :  their  cup  of  iniquity  was  full.  Five 
of  them  were  seized  and  hung  ;  and  had  the  entire  gang  in 
the  South  West  met  with  the  same  fate,  in  the  same  man- 
ner, their  destruction  would  have  been  an  incalculable 
blessing  to  the  country. 

The  man  who,  really  knowing  the  condition  of  this  sec- 
tion at  this  time,  could  stigmatize  this  action  of  the  citi- 
zens of  Vicksburg  as  a  "  barbarous  murder  " — which  hun- 
dreds of  prints,  at  home  and  abroad,  have  done — would  be 
a  fit  candidate  for  the  Non-Resistant  Society,  or  Douglas, 
Smith"  Kelly  &  Co.'s  Liberty  party  of  saints  of  the  lower 
house. 

Among  the  many  abuses  of  Lynch  Law  which  have 
occurred,  I  shall  cite  two,  which  I  select  for  the  reason 
that  I  am  personally  cognizant  of  the  one,  and  inti- 
mately acquainted  with  the  facts  of  the  other.  Moreover, 
the  circumstances  of  the  latter  bear  a  striking  resemblance 
to  those  attending  an  exhibition  of  popular  vengeance  in 
the  quiet  and  law-abiding  city  of  Edinburgh,  during  the 


390  DEFEAT  OF  THE  GAMBLERS. 

regency  of  Queen  Caroline.  If  any  other  reasons  were 
necessary,  I  might  further  state,  that  these  two  events 
have  been  held  up  to  the  world,  with  their  attending  cir- 
cumsfances,  atrociously  misrepresented  by  that  precious 
collection  of  "  Glauber"  salt  of  the  earth,  Garrison's  gene- 
ration of  knaves  and  fools,  and  I  also  believe,  that  the 
days  upon  which  these  unhappy  deeds  occurred  are 
marked  as  red-letter  days  upon  the  truthful  (?)  pages  of 
the  Anti-Slavery  Almanac. 

The  small  city  of  Grand  Gulf,  in  Mississippi,  was,  on  a 
certain  Saturday  night  in  May,  1848,  a  scene  of  the  great- 
est alarm  and  excitement.  A  most  brutal,  and,  as  it  was 
supposed  at  the  time,  a  double  murder,  had  been  committed 
by  a  notorious  negro,  named  Dick.  He  was  a  man  of 
great  muscular  power,  activity,  and  resolution,  and  but  for 
his  uncontrollable  temper  and  savage  disposition,  would 
have  been  of  great  value  to  any  master.  A  gentleman 
named  Taylor  originally  owned  him,  and  although  a  person 
of  great  strength  and  courage,  found  much  difficulty  in 
keeping  the  refractory  slave  in  subjection.  At  times  he 
would  run  away,  and  remain  for  days  in  the  bush,  and  no 
one  save  his  master  cared  to  seek  him.  Mr.  Taylor 
informed  me  that  upon  one  occasion,  when  he  came  upon 
Dick  unperceived  by  him,  the  fellow  had  a  long  knife  in 
his  hand,  with  which  he  was  butchering,  in  imagination,  all 
of  those  who  had  incurred  his  displeasure  ;  and  his  recol- 
lection of  causes  of  offence  must  have  been  very  accurate, 
and  the  list  of  offenders  a  long  one,  to  judge  of  the  number 
of  those  over  whose  ideal  slaughter  he  was  gloating. 

It  is  said,  that  when  the  idea  of  committing  murder  once 
fairly  enters  a  man's  brain,  it  never  again  abandons  pos- 
session, but  haunts  him  like  a  demon,  urging  him  on,  like 


A    BAD    BARGAIN.  391 

the  air-drawn  dagger  of  the  Thane.  And  so  it  proved 
with  Dick. 

A  man  named  Greene,  who  owned  a  small  "  force,"  was 
engaged  in  the  brick-making  business,  and,  envying  Taylor 
the  possession  of  so  valuable  a  man  as  Dick,  endeavored  to 
purchase  him.  For  a  long  time  Taylor  refused,  telling 
Greene  honestly,  that  Dick  was  a  very  troublesome  negro, 
one  that  could  be  kept  in  order  only  by  an  owner  that  he 
feared,  and  that  he  (Greene)  had  neither  the  physicahabi- 
lity  nor  the  resolution  to  conquer  him. 

At  length,  wearied  with  Greene's  pertinacity,  Taylor  set 
a  price  upon  his  man,  so  exorbitant  indeed  that  he  had  no 
idea  of  its  being  paid  ;  but  Greene  quickly  closed  the  bar- 
gain, purchasing,  at  the  same  time,  a  tyrannical  master  and 
his  own  death-warrant. 

As  soon  as  Dick  was  released  from  Taylor's  control,  he 
gave  free  vent  to  his  natural  disposition,  and  in  a  very 
short  time  inspired  his  master,  his  overseer,  and  in  fact 
every  one  upon  the  plantation,  with  such  fear,  that  he 
became  virtually  the  master  of  the  place.  His  owner  did 
not  dare  to  punish  him,  nor  did  he  think  it  at  all  safe  to 
hint  of  selling  him  ;  and  things  went  from  bad  to  worse, 
untii  finally  a  tragedy  was  enacted,  sufficiently  bloody  to 
gratify  even  the  morbid  tastes  of  the  readers  of  Reynolds's 
school  of  novels. 

Greene,  returning  to  the  house  very  early  upon  the 
above  mentioned  Saturday,  and  feeling  quite  unwell, 
ordered  Dick's  wife,  a  house  servant,  to  make  him  a  cup 
of  tea.  He  then  threw  himself  upon  the  bed,  and  had 
nearly  fallen  asleep,  when  a  loud  noise  in  the  kitchen, 
shrieks,  and  cries  of  murder,  aroused  him.  A  negro-boy 


892  DEFEAT  OF  THE  GAMBLERS. 

rushed  into  the  room,  and  Legged  him  to  come  into  the 
kitchen  and  prevent  Dick  from  murdering  his  wife. 

Greene  sprang  from  the  bed,  and  without  stopping  to 
dress,  ran  into  the  kitchen,  where  he  found  that  Dick  had 
knocked  down  the  woman  Maria  with  a  flat-iron,  for  no 
other  reason  than  because  he  had  ordered  her  to  iron  a  vest 
for  him  immediately,  as  he  wanted  to  go  to  a  ball,  and  she 
replied  that  she  would  do  so  as  soon  as  she  had  prepared 
a  cup  of  tea  for  her  master,  but  could  not  before. 

Before  Greene  could  interpose  either  remonstrance  or 
force,  Dick — whose  blood  was  up — seized  him  by  the  throat. 
Greene  endeavored  to  retreat,  and  succeeded  in  making 
his  way  to  his  bed-room  ;  Dick  still  clinging  to  him.  In 
this  room  two  loaded  guns  leaned  against  the  wall  ;  but 
before  Greene  could  possess  himself  of  either,  Dick,  who 
yet  held  him  by  the  throat,  fired  two  pistols  at  his  head, — 
strange  to  say,  without  any  other  effect  than  breaking  the 
glass  of  a  window  behind  them. 

Releasing  his  clasp  of  Greene's  throat,  Dick  now  seized 
him  by  the  hair  ;  drew  him  out  of  the  room,  across  the 
piazza,  and  into  the  grass  plot  in  front  of  the  cottage,  and 
in  less  time  than  the  description  of  the  deed  occupies,  cut 
him  literally  to  pieces  ;  inflicting  seven  wounds  that  would 
either  of  them  have  been  mortal,  and  hacking  and  scarring 
the  body  all  over. 

The  plantation  negroes  were  all  present,  but  offered  no 
assistance  to  their  master.  As  soon  as  they  recovered 
from  their  paralysis  of  fear  they  ran  and  hid  themselves  in 
the  woods. 

When  Dick  had  satisfied  himself  that  his  master  was  done 
for,  with  his  bloody  knife  in  his  bloody  hand,  he  rushed 


THE   CAPTUKE  OP   DICK.  393 

out  of  the  inclosure,  and  down  the  hill,  to  finish  the  pun- 
ishment of  his  wife.  She,  with  one  other  kitchen  servant, 
was  concealed  in  the  swamp  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  ;  but 
when  Dick  called  her,  beside  herself  with  fright,  she  left 
her  hiding  place  and  went  to  him.  Without  a  word,  the 
negro  cut  her  through  and  through,  and  then  leaving  her 
for  dead,  started  down  the  Bluff-road,  that  led  around  the 
town  to  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Black-River,  and  would 
doubtless  have  made  his  escape  but  for  the  shrewdness  of 
the  same  young  negro  who  had  at  first  given  Greene  the 
alarm. 

Without  stopping  to  see  the  result  of  the  affray,  the  lad 
immediately  ran  down  to  the  town,  went  first  to  a  tavern 
upon  the  main  road,  and  then  to  another,  some  distance 
up  the  river  and  near  the  Bluff-road.  The  boarders  at 
either  place  were  just  awaiting  the  tea  bell,  and  mustered 
pretty  strongly.  Fifty  men,  at  least,  immediately  started 
for  the  scene  of  the  murder  ;  a  part  by  the  direct  road, 
and  a  part — through  the  lad's  advice — by  the  circuitous 
one. 

The  latter  party  captured  the  murderer,  knife  in  hand, 
and  brought  him  directly  to  the  sheriff's  office,  when 
they  were  met  by  the  other  and  stronger  company,  headed 
by  a  brother  of  the  murdered  man.  They  also  had  made 
a  capture,  and  one  that  caused  more  alarm  for  a  time,  than 
the  tragedy  itself. 

Half  way  between  the  bluff  and  the  town,  a  negro  head- 
ing for  the  latter,  at  full  speed,  with  a  butcher  knife  in  one 
hand  and  hatchet  in  the  other,  ran  right  among  them,  and 
was  seized  and  pinioned.  The  affair  began  to  look  like  an 
insurrection  among  the  negroes.  The  first  party  kept  on 
to  Greene's  house,  and  searching  it,  found  concealed  in 
17* 


394  DEFEAT   OF  THE   GAMBLERS. 

and  under  Dick's  bed,  twenty-one  dangerous  weapons  of 
several  kinds. 

The  two  parties — as  I  have  before  said — met  at  the 
sheriff's  office.  The  first — much  the  stronger  of  the  two 
— declared  their  intention  of  taking  the  prisoner  and  burn- 
ing him  alive  that  very  night,  and  were  only  prevented 
from  so  doing  by  the  representations  of  the  sheriff,  that  if 
they  did,  all  chance  of  discovering  those  who  were  impli- 
cated with  Dick,  would  be  thrown  away  ;  and  besides,  that 
the  next  day  being  Sunday,  the  execution  of  Dick  would 
be  witnessed  by  many  plantation  negroes,  and  might  pro- 
duce a  salutary  effect  upon  them. 

Having  procured  a  temporary  reprieve,  the  sheriff  endea- 
vored to  obtain  assistance  enough  to  seize  the  negro,  but 
was  unsuccessful,  and  on  the  next  day  the  murderer  was 
hung,  and  his  body  burned.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  active 
interference  of  a  Mr.  Smith,  the  then  editor  of  the  Grand 
Gulf  paper,  the  prisoner  would  have  been  burned  at  the 
stake  ;  but  the  latter  called  the  attention  of  the  citizens  to 
the  effect  of  the  late  burning  at  Saint  Louis  upon  the  public 
mind  ;  and  begged  that  a  jury  might  be  selected,  and  the 
prisoner  receive  at  least  the  form  of  a  trial. 

The  question  was  put  to  vote,  and  all  but  five  or  six  of 
the  hundreds  assembled,  voted  in  favor  of  a  jury. 

There  was  no  real  necessity  for  anticipating  thus  the 
slow,  but  in  this  case,  sure  action  of  the  law,  and  the 
only  excuse  that  it  will  admit  of  is  the  fact  that  sixteen 
negroes  had  been  arrested  the  previous  night  who  proved 
to  have  been  implicated  with  Dick, — at  least  so  far  as  fur- 
nishing him  with  weapons.  This  created  a  very  general 
fear  of  an  intended  insurrection,  which,  perhaps,  the  imme- 
diate execution  of  the  ringleader  might  quell. 


SUDDEN   VENGEANCE.  393 

Some  two  weeks  before  this  occurrence,  a  negro  of 
notoriously  bad  character,  the  steward  of  a  small  "  two 
boiler"  boat — the  "  Echo" — was  arrested  at  the  steamboat 
landing  in  Saint  Louis,  by  the  sheriff  and  one  assistant, 
for  some  crime  that  he  had  committed. 

As  the  two  officers  and  .their  prisoner  were  ascending 
the  steep  hill  at  the  landing,  the  latter  drew  a  knife  and 
stabbed  the  two  former,  killing  the  sheriff  instantly,  and 
apparently  inflicting  a  mortal  wound  upon  the  deputy. 
The  murderer  then  took  refuge  upon  his  boat,  but  was  soon 
re-captured  and  lodged  in  jail. 

The  sheriff  had  been  a  man  of  great  personal  popularity, 
and  the  news  of  his  death  spread  like  wildfire  over  all  the 
business  portion  of  the  city.  Presently  the  tolling  of  a 
bell  was  heard,  and  in  a  few  minutes  an  immense  crowd 
of  merchants,  clerks,  and  steamboat-men  assembled  around 
the  jail. 

The  person  of  the  negro  was  demanded  from  the  jailor, 
who,  seeing  all  attempt  at  resistance  useless,  gave  him  up. 
The  negro  was  then  taken  to  the  court-house,  chained  to  a 
tree  in  front  of  it,  and  burned. 

So  deep  a  feeling  seems  to  have  pervaded  the  crowd 
that  the  whole  affair  was  conducted  in  absolute  silence. 
Without  any  organization  or  pre-arrangement,  all  was 
done  as  if  by  a  tingle  man.  And  when  the  deed  was 
finished,  they  separated  without  a  word,  and  went  each  his 
own  way.  Persons  living  within  one  block  of  the  court- 
house knew  nothing  of  it  at  the  time. 

Very  striking,  indeed,  is  the  resemblance  between  this 
and  the  execution  of  Capt.  Porteus,  by  the  enraged 
citizens  of  the  peaceful  and  law-abiding  city  of  Edin- 
burgh, during  the  regency  of  Queen  Caroline,  which  is  the 


896  DEFEAT  OF  THE  GAMBLERS. 

first  instance  of  the  application  of  pure  Lynch-law  on 
record. 

Xone  of  those  engaged  in  the  former  affair  were 
punished ;  for  although  the  Queen,  thoroughly  aroused, 
declared  that  she  would  bring  to  justice  all  concerned  in 
it,  "and  make  Scotland  a  hunting  ground,"  the  cool 
reply  of  Argyle,  "  then,  madam,  I  will  go  home  and  turn 
out  my  hounds,"  changed  her  Majesty's  purpose,  and  sho 
passed  by  the  insult. 

Indictments  were  found  against  many  who  had  been 
engaged  in  the  Saint  Louis  affair.  They  were  brought  to 
trial,  and  there  was  no  want  of  testimony.  All  turned 
upon  the  charge  of  the  Judge — whose  name,  singularly 
enough,  was  Lawless. 

The  charge  was  a  strange  one,  and  the  substance  of  it  as 
follows  : 

"  If  the  deed  was  the  violence  of  a  mob  it  was  wilful 
murder  ;  but  if  the  act  of  the  people,  then,  as  the  makers 
of  laws,  they  were  superior  to  all  law,  and  could  not  com- 
mit an  offence." 

They  were  acquitted. 

The  effect  of  this  affair  upon  the  people  of  Saint  Louis 
was  such  as  to  preclude  all  danger  of  any  more  lynching. 
Some  years  after  the  citizens  were  excited  quite  as  deeply 
from  the  terrible  murder  of  two  young  men,  by  three  free 
negroes  and  a  slave.  The  victims  were  generally  known 
and  universally  beloved  and  respected,  and  the  attendant 
circumstances  horrible  in  the  extreme,  but  no  attempt  was 
made  to  interfere  with  the  functions  of  the  law. 

As  much  as  anything  savoring  of  Lynch-law  is  to  be 
deprecated,  yet  recent  events  in  California,  prove  that  cir- 
cumstances may  arise  even  in  cities,  where  nothing  but  the 


THE  END.  397 

prompt  and  determined  action  of  the  people  can  shield  the 
lives  and  protect  the  property  of  the  citizens,  or  even  save 
the  place  itself  from  total  destruction. 

Whatever  my  readers  may  think,  judging  from  my  own 
knowledge  in  the  premises,  I  am  convinced,  that  under 
certain  circumstances  Lynch  Law,  although  sometimes  ter- 
ribly misapplied,  is  nevertheless  a  dire  necessity. 


STEAM  ON  THE  WESTERN  WATERS. 


STEAM 


THE    WESTERN    WATERS 


To  institute  a  comparison  between  large  and  small  things, 
New  Orleans  may  be  termed  the  "  South  Ferry  "  of  the 
Mississippi,  the  frequent  steamers  arriving  and  departing 
reminding  one  of  the  omnibuses  incessantly  rattling  up 
and  dashing  off ;  and  the  countless  handbills  on  the  posts, 
and  boards  upon  the  boats,  announcing  immediate  depar- 
ture for  "  Red  River,"  "  Bayou  Tache,"  "  Little  Rock," 
"  St.  Louis,"  "  Cincinnati,"  or  "  Pittsburgh,"  in  the  place 
of,  "  Broadway,  right  up,"  "  Here's  the  Bowery,"  and 
"  Bull's  Head,  just  off,  sir,"  of  our  jarvies. 

The  steamboat  levee  presents  a  strange,  unwonted,  and 
amusing  sight  to  the  Northern  visitor.  A  hundred,  more 
or  less,  huge  boats  all  lie  with  their  bows  on  to  the  land 
and  pointing  to  the  vast  piles  of  cotton  which  they  have 
disgorged,  or  to  the  unwieldy  sugar  puncheons  or  count- 
less coffee  bags  which  they  are  about  to  ingulf.  In  this 
position  they  look  for  all  the  world  like  so  many  mastiffs 
with  their  heads  reclining  upon  their  paws,  quietly  but 


402  STEAM   ON   THE   WESTERN   WATERS. 

intently  watching  each  his  bone.  To  keep  up  the  illusion, 
ever  and  anon  a  low  rumbling  or  impatient  snort  of  steam 
answers  to  the  growl  or  bark  in  which  watchful  canines 
are  wont  to  indulge. 

The  Western  boat  bears  no  more  resemblance  to  its 
Eastern  congener,  than  does  the  Western  man  to  the  East- 
ern man  of  business.  The  Western  boat  dashes  off  under 
a  full  head,  thrusting  the  water  aside  from  her  bows  with 
violence,  forcing  her  way  against  the  opposing  current  by 
sheer  strength,  carrying  aloft  a  murky  banner  that  marks 
her  progress  to  eyes  distant  miles  and  miles,  and  belching 
forth  at  regular  intervals  a  shrill  yell  or  a  steam  huzza,  until 
the  old  forest  rings  again,  and  echo  taking  up  the  chorus, 
carries  it  far  away,  warning  thousands  of  her  coming. 

The  Eastern  boat,  on  the  contrary,  like  the  Eastern 
man,  goes  quietly  about  her  business,  slips  smoothly  past 
all  opposing  obstacles,  accomplishes  quite  as  much  as 
the  other,  and  finally  arrives  at  her  journey's  end  with- 
out noise  or  disturbance,  and  as  if  she  had  done  nothing 
unusual  or  unexpected. 

The  passing  of  a  Mississippi  boat  near  a  river  planta- 
tion is  the  signal  for  a  general  emeute  on  shore.  In  the 
foreground  of  the  picture  will  appear  a  score  of  horses  of 
all  ages,  from  incipient  colthood  to  exempt  senility,  all 
in  a  row,  heads  extended,  eyes  starting  from  their  sockets, 
ears  and  mane  erect,  and  feet  braced  forward  in  readiness 
for  a  sudden  bolt. 

The  youngest  invariably  sounds  the  retreat,  and  with  a 
snort,  away  scour  the  entire  drove,  carrying  horizontal 
tails,  wheeling  into  column  every  few  rods  for  another 
look  at  the  deep-throated  and  smoke-wreathed  monster, 
and  then  off  again  for  another  scamper. 


STEAM   ON  THE   WESTERN   WATERS.  403 

The  negroes,  hoe  in  hand,  suspend  operations,  exhibit 
their  ivory,  and,  hat  or  handkerchief  waving,  respond  to 
the  jovial  shout  or  cheery  refrain  of  the  firemen,  invaria- 
bly tapering  off  with  the  African  yah,  yah !  The  overseer 
dashes  down  to  the  nearest  point,  and  hails  to  know  if 
they  want  any  wood,  or,  perchance,  if  they  will  stop  on 
their  return  trip  and  take  off  his  sugar  or  cotton.  The 
planter  shouts  aloud  for  news — "  Who  is  President  ?" 
"  What's  cotton  worth  ?"  and,  if  he  obtain  a.n  answer  to 
his  queries,  is  off  in  five  minutes  for  the  next  town — made 
up  of  a  store  "  of  all  sorts,"  with  a  post-office  attachment, 
a  grocery,  and  a  blacksmith's-shop — to  spread  the  news, 
himself  an  object  of  extra  consideration  for  the  day,  while 
the  chances  are  ten  to  one  that  the  poor  man  has  been  ter- 
ribly sold. 

I  mentioned  the  refrain  of  the  firemen.  Now,  as  a  parti- 
cular one  is  almost  invariably  sung  by  negroes  when  they 
have  anything  to  do  with  or  about  a  fire,  whether  it  be  while 
working  at  a  New  Orleans  fire  engine  or  crowding  wood 
into  the  furnaces  of  a  steamboat,  whether  they  desire  to 
make  an  extra  racket  at  leaving  or  evince  their  joy  at 
returning  to  a  port,  it  may  be  worth  recording ;  and  here 
it  is:— 

"Fire  on  the  quarter-deck, 
Fire  on  the  bow, 
Fire  on  the  gun-deck, 
Fire  down  below."* 

The  last  line  is  given  by  all  hands  with  great  voice  and 
volume,  and  as  for  the  chorus  itself,  you  will  never  meet 
or  pass  a  boat,  you  will  never  behold  the  departure  or 

*  From  Sir  Walter  Scott's  "Pirate." 


404  STEAM   OX  THE   WESTERN   WATERS. 

arrival  of  one,  and  you  will  never  witness  a  New  Orleans 
fire,  without  hearing  it. 

I  have  said  that  steamboats  and  steamboating  in  the 
West  are  very  different  from  steamboating  in  the  East. 
The  Western  boat  is  built  for  freight,  the  Eastern  for  pas- 
sengers ;  at  least,  these  are  respectively  the  first  objects  to 
be  gained.  Speed  both  seek  to  obtain  ;  the  one  by  the 
application  of  immense  power,  and  the  other  by  a  sharp, 
narrow  model.  Yet"  it  is  strange  that  the  Western  boat 
is  immeasurably  superior  in  its  conveniences  for  the 
accommodation  of  voyagers,  in  fact,  no  other  mode  of 
travelling  can  compare  with  it  for  comfort  and  plea- 
sure. 

Their  first  cost  is  usually  much  less  than  that  of  the 
boats  upon  our  Eastern  rivers,  but  the  expense  of  run- 
ning— except  upon  the  Ohio — is  much  greater,  and  the 
"  wear  and  tear  "  at  least  treble.  For  instance,  the  dis- 
tance from  New  Orleans  to  Louisville  is  some  1,250  miles, 
and  a  few  years  since  seven  days  was  deemed  an  extraor- 
dinary passage — in  fact,  but  few  boats  could  boast  of  as 
good  ; — and  although  I  believe  that  the  "  up  trip  "  is  now 
occasionally  made  in  about  five,  yet  the  traveller  who 
spends  but  a  week  upon  the  voyage,  has  no  just  grounds 
for  complaint.  A  large  eight  boiler  boat  will  burn  sixty 
cords  of  wood  per  day,  at  a  cost  of  from  three  to  four 
dollars  per  cord,  thus  incurring  the  expense  of,  say  two 
hundred  dollars  per  day,  or  from  one  thousand  to  fourteen 
hundred  per  trip.  The  expense  for  fuel  in  an  Eastern 
boat  is  much  less. 

The  first  attempt  to  navigate  the  great  Western  waters, 
by  steam,  was  made  in  1812.  A  boat  named  the  Experi- 
ment was  built  at  or  near  Pittsburgh,  and  launched  upon 


STEAM   ON   THE  WESTERN  WATERS.  405 

her  perilous  voyage.  The  pioneers  in  this  enterprise  were 
aware  of  the  dangers  to  be  apprehended  from  snags  and 
sawyers,  eddies  and  sand-bars,  but  they  were  to  encounter 
an  adversary  as  dreadful  as  it  was  unexpected  :  an  earth- 
quake, in  this  memorable  year,  extended  its  ravages 
throughout  all  the  great  valley  of  the  Mississippi.  It  had 
been  the  intention  of  the  navigators  to  have  run  their 
boat  by  daylight  alone,  hoping  thus  to  avoid  the  snags 
with  which  the  river  literally  bristled,  but  on  turning  the 
mouth  of  the  Ohio,  they  found  it  even  more  dangerous  to 
tie  up  their  craft  to  trees  on  the  bank,  than  it  was  to  keep 
on  and  encounter  dangers,  against  which,  at  least,  they 
could  use  some  precautions.  Banks  were  caving  in  upon 
every  side,  acres  of  trees  slid  into  the  river,  islands  of 
sand  arose  as  by  magic  in  the  very  bed  of  the  stream,  and 
one  morning  the  mighty  Mississippi  flowed  over  what  had 
been  a  populous  town  but  the  preceding  night.  And  so, 
through  fogs  and  mists,  by  day  and  night,  threading  their 
course  among  sawyers  amd  planters,  skirting  boldly 
through  the  eddies,  and  by  the  sand-bars,  they  kept 
on  their  dangerous  path,  and  at  length  reached  the  port 
of  their  destination  in  safety.  Things  have  changed  since 
then  ;  the  government  has  sent  snag  boats  among  these 
waters,  and  the  fangs  that  have  brought  destruction  on 
many  a  gallant  boat  and  her  crew  have  been  extracted. 
These  snag  boats  have  a  double  bottom,  like  to  our  ferry 
boats.  They  run  up  to  a  snag  or  sawyer,  from  down 
stream,  force  it  up  straight,  if  it  be  inclined  by  the  force 
of  the  current,  fasten  to  it  by  a  chain,  and  drawing  it  on 
the  deck,  it  is  cut  by  machinery  into  lengths  of  perhaps 
eight  feet,  and  then  cast  overboard  again,  to  do  no  more 
mischief.  At  Choctaw  Point,  a  mile  below  Mobile,  the 


406  STEAM   ON   THE   WESTERN   WATERS. 

shore  is  covered  with  these  remains  of  snags,  which  by 
some  means  find  their  way  around  there. 

Had  I  time  and  space,  I  should  attempt  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  various  classes  of  modern  boats,  but  let  me 
here  devote  a  page  to  a  class  of  vessels  now  extinct, 
and  of  men  who  are  nearly  so.  In  the  earlier  days 
of  steamboating  in  the  West,  the  captains  and  pilots 
were  men  who  had  served  their  time  and  learned  their 
trade  upon  broadhorus  or  keel  boats,  and  a  rough  set  they 
were.  Almost  born,  and  really  educated  upon  the  river, 
passing  their  days  either  in  floating  down  stream,  exposed 
to  the  various  dangers  of  the  voyage,  or  wearily  working 
their  boat  up  again  in  the  face  of  the  rapid  current,  liable 
at  any  time  to  be  attacked  by  some  one  of  the  many  gangs 
of  robbers  that  infested  all  the  region  through  which  they 
passed,  exposed  to  heat  and  cold,  to  snow  and  rain  ;  ply- 
ing the  oar  by  day  and  the  whiskey  bottle  and  fiddle  bow 
by  night,  they  formed  a  class  strictly  sui  generis,  and  a 
devil-may-care,  roystering,  ready-handed,  and  open-hearted 
one  at  that. 

By  these  men  were  the  earlier  boats  officered  ;  and  now 
for  the  boats  themselves.  Differing  in  every  particular 
from  those  of  the  present  time,  they  were  built  with 
hulls  very  clumsy  indeed,  but  serviceable  in  resisting  the 
attacks  of  the  frequent  snags.  Their  engines  were  all 
low  pressure,  and  their  cabins  upon  deck.  Accidents 
were  then  of  frequent  occurrence,  but  almost  invariably 
the  result  of  a  contact  with  a  snag.  Fires  and  explosions 
were  then  not  so  common  as  now,  but  perhaps  the  greatest 
proportional  sacrifice  of  human  life  occurred  after  high 
pressure  boilers  were  introduced,  and  before  lower  deck 
cabins  were  dispensed  with.  The  captains  were  a  fresh 


STEAM   ON  THE  WESTERN  WATERS.  407 

water  variety  of  the  old  sea  kings  ;  doing  pretty  much 
what  they  pleased  with  boat  and  passengers,  freight  and 
wood-yards. 

The  pilots,  then  as  now,  were  selected  from  flat  and 
keel  boatmen,  and  the  mates,  picked  up  at  New  Orleans, 
had  previously  filled  a  similar  berth  upon  sea-going  ves- 
sels. In  all  cases  of  disturbance,  officers  and  crew  fought 
for  and  clung  to  each  other ;  all  steamboatmen  were  at 
feud  with  flatboatmen,  but  when  gamblers  or  any  long- 
shoremen interfered  with  the  rights  of  either  of  them,  all 
boatmen  made  a  common  cause,  leaving  the  discussion  of 
private  quarrels  until  their  mutual  enemies  were  quelled. 

Many  tales  are  told  of  the  exploits  of  these  old  river 
dogs,  and  among  them  at  this  moment  I  recal  one  of  a 
certain  Captain  Russel,  familiarly  known  as  Dick  Russel, 
who  commanded  the  old  Constellation  in  the  palmy  days 
of  boating. 

Russel  was  a  man  of  great  strength — one  of  those  minor 
Samsons  that  are  occasionally  encountered  in  this  degene- 
rate age — and  his  courage  was  in  proportion  to  his  muscu- 
lar power.  The  boat  which  he  commanded  had  stopped 
at  Natchez,  "  under-the-hill,"  for  the  night,  and  many  of 
his  passengers  had  gone  on  shore  to  see  the  fun  going  on 
among  the  various  drinking,  gambling,  and  dancing  houses 
that  made  up  the  town,  such  as  it  was.  Now  the  said  fun 
was  never  over  decorous,  seldom  over  safe,  and  one  of  the 
said  passengers  made  both  discoveries  at  his  cost.  He 
was  robbed  of  his  pocket-book,  which  contained  the  pro- 
ceeds of  the  sale  of  his  flat-boat  and  cargo. 

Early  the  next  morning  Russel  was  informed  of  the 
robbery,  and  sending  for  the  loser  requested  all  the  par- 
ticulars. 


408  STEAM  ON  THE  WESTERN  WATERS. 

Having  satisfied  himself  that  the  money  was  really  lost, 
and  that,  too,  in  a  notorious  house,  immediately  opposite 
the  boat,  on  shore  he  went,  and  inarching  bold  as  a  lion 
into  the  den  of  thieves,  demanded  the  pocket-book  and 
contents  of  the  proprietor.  Of  course  the  theft  was 
denied,  and  the  denial  accompanied  with  many  a  threat  of 
vengeance  upon  Russel,  whose  prowess,  however,  they 
were  too  well  acquainted  with  to  make  any  overt  demon- 
stration. 

"  I'll  give  you,"  said  Russel,  "  until  I  get  my  boat  ready 
to  go  to  hand  over  the  money,  and  then  if  they  don't  come 
the  house  shall."  True  to  his  word,  just  before  the  boat 
started,  on  shore  he  went  again  accompanied  by  a  gang 
of  deck  hands,  bearing  the  largest  cable  the  steamer  pos- 


This  was  passed  around  the  house  and  in  and  out  some 
of  the  windows,  and  when  all  was  ready  Russel  again 
demanded  the  book. 

No  answer  but  curses  being  returned,  he  jumped  on 
board  the  boat,  sung  out  to  the  pilot  to  "  go  ahead"  and 
to  the  engineer  "  to  work  her  slow,"  and  off  the  boat 
moved  very  moderately. 

The  rope  began  to  tighten,  and  the  house  to  creak. 
Two  minutes  more  would  have  done  the  business  for  build- 
ing and  people,  when  the  latter  signified  their  surrender, 
and  pitched  pocket-book  and  money  out  of  the  window. 

A  man  who  had  been  for  many  years  a  mate  upon  the 
river  boats,  and  whom  I  fell  in  with  in  travelling,  told  me 
many  amusing  incidents  of  his  life  afloat,  but  among  all 
his  yarns  one  touching  certain  doings  of  two  ancient 
pilots  of  the  well-known  old  steamer  Uncle  Sam,  amused 
me  most, 


STEAM   OX   THE   WESTERN   WATERS.  409 

The  Uncle  Sam  was  the  largest  boat  of  her  day,  and  had 
two  of  the  best  pilots  on  the  river.  Between  these  two 
men,  whom  we  will  call  for  the  nonce,  Smith  and  Brown, 
there  existed  a  bitter  feeling  of  rivalry.  The  first  engi- 
neer sided  with  Smith  the  first  pilot ;  and  the  second  engi- 
neer with  Brown.  One  day  when  the  boat  was  leaving 
Natchez,  Brown,  who  was  steering,  ran  her  a  short  dis- 
tance down  stream  in  order  to  pass  the  town  under  a  full 
head  of  steam.  Just  as  he  was  abreast  of  it,  thafirst  engi- 
neer, who  was  working  the  boat,  shut  the  steam  nearly  off : 
nor  would  he  put  it  on  again  until  they  finally  and  very 
slowly  passed  the  town. 

Brown  saw  the  finger  of  Smith  in  this  manoeuvre,  and 
determined  to  be  revenged  in  kind.  He  was.  On  the 
next  down  trip  a  heavy  fog  arose  at  sunset,  and  Smith  who 
at  that  time  abandoned  the  wheel  to  Brown,  ordered  him 
to  run  the  boat  until  nine  o'clock  and  then  to  tie  her  up  ; 
to  have  steam  kept  up  all  night ;  and,  if  the  fog  should  lift, 
to  call  him. 

"  Tie  the  boat  up !"  exclaimed  Brown.  "  I  can  run  her 
in  any  such  fog  as  there  is  to-night.  I'll  run  her  till 
twelve,  and  then  tie  up,  as  you  are  afraid." 

"  I  can  run  her  any  night,  and  anywhere  that  you  can," 
replied  Smith  ;"  "  and  if  you  do  move  her  till  twelve,  call 
me  then,  that's  all." 

Brown  kept  on  for  a  time,  but  the  fog  came  on  heavier 
and  heavier,  and  having  made  sure  that  his  coadjutor  was 
fast  asleep,  he  rounded  the  boat  to  at  a  wood  yard  and 
tied  up.  His  friend,  the  second  engineer,  was  on  duty,  and 
according  to  Brown's  directions,  the  wheel  was  unshipped 
and  the  steam  kept  up.  At  twelve,  Brown  went  to  the 
wheel  again,  and  sent  a  waiter  to  call  Smith,  who  soon 


410  STEAM   ON   THE   WESTERN   WATERS. 

made  his  appearance,  rubbing  his  eyes  and  anything  but 
pleased  at  the  prospect  before  him  ; — although,  strictly 
speaking,  prospect  there  was  none,  for  he  could  not  fairlv 
discern  the  top  of  his  nose  for  the  fog. 

"  Hallo  1"  said  Brown,  "  are  you  there  ?  I've  called  you 
according  to  orders,  and  now  I  think  you'd  better  just  tie 
up  and  turn  in  again,  or  you'll  make  a  smash  up  before 
morning." 

Smith  growled  out  that  he  was  able  to  steer  any  boat  in 
any  fog,  and  took  the  wheel.  Brown  went  below. 

The  boat  was  fast  to  the  bank,  but  neither  bank  nor 
anything  else  could  poor  Smith  see.  The  wheel  which 
was  ungeared,  turned  round  and  round  with  the  swift  cur- 
rent, and  the  splashes  reached  his  ear,  the  hissing  of  the 
steam  in  her  low  pressure  boilers  sounded  all  right  to 
him;  so  cursing  his  bad  luck,  Brown's  obstinacy,  and 
his  own  stupidity  in  accepting  the  banter,  he  turned  his 
wheel  now  this  way  and  now  that,  expecting  every 
moment  to  hear  and  feel  the  boat  crash  against  something. 
A  thousand  times,  during  his  dreary  watch,  did  he  deter- 
mine to  give  up  his  desperate  undertaking,  and  as  often 
did  pride  step  in  and  prevent  him  ;  and  so,  finally,  having 
made  up  his  mind  to  let  the  worst  come,  he  gave  a  tubular 
order  to  the  engineer  to  work  her  very  slow,  and  keep  on 
— as  he  supposed. 

About  sunrise,  Brown,  accompanied  by  the  Captain  and 
other  officers,  ascended  the  hurricane  deck. 

"  Hallo !  Smith,"  said  Brown,  "  is  that  you  ?" 

"  Yes,  it  is,"  replied  Smith,  crossly  enough. 

"  You  haven't  been  running  all  night,  I  reckon  ?"  con- 
tinued Brown. 

"  Can't  you  see  I  have  ?"  answered  Smith.    "  Don't  you 


STEAM   ON   THE   WESTERN   WATERS.  411 

know  where  you  are  ?    If  you  don't,  you  had  better  get 
your  eyes  scrubbed  out." 

"No,"  returned  Brown,  "I  can't  say  I  do.  Where 
are  we  ?" 

"  Just  above  Natchez,"  was  the  reply. 

"  There's  matey,"  said  Brown.  "  You  have  done  it  this 
time,  and  I  wouldn't  be  in  your  boots  for  a  hogshead  of 
niggers."  * 

"  What  have  I  done,  and  what  do  you  mean  ?"  demanded 
Smith,  ferociously. 

"Done!  Done  enough  !"  roared  Brown.  "  I  left  the  boat 
tied  up  to  old  Jones's  plantation,  and  if  you  have  gone  and 
towed  that  down  to  Natchez,  they'll  have  you  up  for  abduc- 
tion, and  sea-duction,  and  nigger  stealing,  and  putting 
obstructions  in  the  channel  of  the  river,  and  the  Law  a 
marcy  on  ye." 

A  very  moist  ray  of  the  sun  peeping  through  the  mist, 
at  this  moment,  partially  disclosed  the  situation  of  the 
boat  and  shore  to  the  astonished  and  discomfited  Smith, 
and  darting  below,  he  remained  there  until  the  boat  did 
reach  Natchez.  And  from  that  time  ever  after,  neither 
the  "  Uncle  Sam"  nor  the  Mississippi  river  knew  him 
more. 

-That  steamboat  accidents  are  more  common  in  the  Uni- 
ted States  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  world,  is  unfor- 
tunately but  too  well  known.  Several  reasons  may  be 
adduced  why  this  is  necessarily  the  case.  Our  steamboats 
very  far  exceed  in  number  those  of  any  other  country,  and 
the  navigation  of  most  of  our  rivers  is  dangerous  in  the 
extreme.  The  frequency  of  explosions  upon  our  Western 
boats  is  owing  in  a  great  measure  to  their  employing  high 
pressure  boilers  and  engines.  Steam  is  generated  with 


412  STEAM    OX    THE    WESTERN    WATERS. 

great  rapidity  by  this  mode,  yet  as  long  as  the  boat  is  in 
motion  all  is  safe,  but  let  a  boat  under  a  full  head  stop 
suddenly  and  there  is  always  a  danger  of  explosion  ;  so 
much  so  indeed,  that  old  stagers  will  generally  be  seen 
hurrying  to  the  stern  as  soon  as  the  engineer's  bell  is  heard 
to  command  "  stop  her."  These  high-pressure  boilers  are 
long  cylinders,  resembling  the  huge  smoke-pipes  of  an 
ocean  steamer — except  •'that  the  former  are  placed  horizon- 
tally and  the  latter  perpendicularly.  Through  them  runs 
the  flue,  and  if  at  any  time  the  boat  has  enough  "  list"  to 
cause  the  water  to  run  from  the  outside  boilers  into  the 
others — thus  leaving  the  steam  in  contact  with  the  red-hot 
flue — an  instantaneous  explosion  is  almost  inevitable.  The 
steam  in  this  case  is  resolved  into  a  combination  of  oxygen 
and  hydrogen  gases — and  about  as  effective  an  agent  of 
destruction  as  gunpowder.  With  regard  to  the  frequent 
losses  of  boats  by  fire,  these  are  too  often  the  result  of  the 
manner  in  which  they  are  built  and  freighted.  The  cabin 
is  entirely  above  the  deck,  built  of  the  lightest  material, 
and  always  as  dry  as  tinder,  from  the  constant  heat 
beneath.  It  only  wants  a  full  load  of  cotton  to  complete 
the  danger.  When  a  boat  is  fully  freighted  with  this 
article  she  appears  like  a  moving  mass  of  cotton  bales, 
110  part  of  her  hull  being  visible  except  the  paddle- 
boxes. 

Around  the  bows  and  upon  the  guards  the  bales  are 
piled  as  high  as  the  "  hurricane  deck."  They  almost  touch 
the  boilers,  which  are  exposed  and  unprotected  upon  the 
forward  deck,  and  generally  surrounded  by  huge  piles  of 
wood,  not  unfrequently  in  absolute  contact  with  them.  A 
tier  of  cotton  often  adorns  the  hurricane  deck  itself,  and 
needs  but  a  spark  from  the  smoke-pipe  to  convert  the  boat 


STEAM   ON   THE   WESTERN   WATERS.  413 

into  a  fiery  furnace,  from  which  the  chance  of  escape  is 
small  indeed. 

Travellers  descending  the  Mississippi  avoid  these  boats 
thus  laden  with  cotton,  but  no  one  taking  passage  at  Pitts- 
burgh, Cincinnati,  or  St.  Louis,  can  tell  what  the  situation 
of  the  boat  will  be  before  she  arrives  at  New  Orleans. 
The  lower  country  boats,  the  Natchez  and  Vicksburg  pack- 
ets, and  those  that  ply  up  and  down  the  Arkansas,  Eed 
River,  and  the  bayous,  during  the  latter  part  of  autumn  and 
the  whole  of  the  winter,  all  make  their  "  down  trip"  loaded 
and  overloaded  with  cotton,  and  the  voyager  must  perforce 
submit  to  the  danger  and  inconvenience  attendant  upon 
such  a  passage. 

Accidents  to  Western  boats  seem  to  come  in  an  epi- 
demic form.  For  a  month  or  two  we  hear  of  none,  and 
then  again  every  day's  mail  or  rather  telegraph  will  record 
some  new  calamity  by  fire,  snags,  or  steam. 

The  list  of  boats  destroyed  and  injured  in  1850  I  do  not 
think  is  comparatively  large,  although  when  arrayed  in 
figures  it  looks  frightful  enough.  During  the  year  there 
were  fifty-three  boats  upon  the  Western  waters,  and  107 
serious  accidents  occurred,  as  follows  : — 

-  33  boats  sunk. 
14    do.    burned. 

6    do.    destroyed  by  explosion. 
64    do.    seriously  injured. 

Over  TOO  persons  lost  their  lives,  and  property  to  the 
amount  of  1,500,000  dollars  was  sacrificed.  During  the 
summer  of  1841  on  the  Mississippi  between  the  mouth  of 
the  Ohio  and  St.  Louis,  thirty  boats  were  snagged  and 
sunk,  in  fact  a  great  part  of  the  then  St.  Louis  fleet  was 
lost.  That  this  was  the  case  can  excite  no  wonder  in  the 


414  STEAM   ON   THE   WESTERN   WATERS. 

mind  of  any  one  who  has  sailed  upon  the  upper  Mississippi 
in  a  time  of  very  low  water.  The  river,  which  at  other 
times  presents  an  appearance  of  majestic  and  solemn  gran- 
deur, as  it  rolls  its  grey  waves  through  the  immense  and 
seemingly  boundless  forests  that  clothe  its  sides,  then  seems 
equally  horrible  and  disgusting.  The  once  majestic  tide 
retreats  into  a  thousand  narrow  and  sinuous  channels, 
leaving  an  enormous  field  of  mud  and  sand  literally  bris- 
tling with  the  now  apparent  snags,  for  the  traveller  to  feast 
his  eyes  upon.  In  every  direction  he  will  see  wrecks  of 
mired  boats,  and  tremble  lest  the  next  hour  may  add  his 
own  to  their  number.  One  spot  above  Cairo  is  known — 
and  justly — as  the  "  Grave  Yard  ;"  and  the  bottom  is  paved 
with  the  bones  of  lost  steamers. 

It  may  appear  singular,  but  the  danger  to  be  appre- 
hended from  explosion  is  much  less  than  that  from  snag- 
ging or  fire.  A  collapsed  flue  does  its  work  instantane- 
ously, and  all  is  over,  but  a  fire  or  the  sinking  of  a  boat 
gives  the  passengers  time  to  see  the  danger  ;  and  then  in 
place  of  adopting  some  proper  mode  of  saving  their  lives, 
nine  out  of  ten  will  from  fear  and  want  of  presence  of 
mind,  jump  overboard  without  anything  to  sustain  them  in 
the  water,  or  more  probably  remain  on  the  boat  until  too 
late  to  escape.  The  effect  of  fear  upon  some  men  is  sin- 
gular ;  often  ludicrous.  Two  instances  that  occurred  in 
my  sight  are  exactly  in  point. 

I  was  once  descending  the  Mississippi  river  in  the 
"  Brian  Boirhoimc."  The  boat  was  new,  and  being 
intended  for  the  Red  River  trade,  had  no  regular  pilots, 
as  the  price  they  demanded  to  make  half  a  trip  and  then 
to  be  left  at  New  Orleans,  without  a  boat,  was  so  unrea- 
sonable that  the  captain  determined  to  steer  the  boat 


STEAM   ON   THE   WESTERN   WATERS.  415 

himself  with  the  assistance  of  a  Red  River  pilot  who  was 
on  board. 

All  went  on  very  well  until  we  turned  the  mouth  of  the 
Ohio,  and  the  captain  abandoned  the  wheel  to  the  care  of 
his  assistant,  with  full  directions  how  to  run  the  boat  for 
a  few  hours.  It  was  a  clear  starlight  night,  and  we  were 
ploughing  our  way  down  stream  famously,  under  a  full 
head  of  steam,  when  suddenly  a  tremendous  jar  threw 
nearly  everybody  and  everything  in  the  cabin  on  their 
beam  ends,  and  every  one  thought  or  said,  "  "We  have 
struck  a  snag !" 

I  am  an  old  stager  upon  the  river,  and  never  enter  a 
boat  without  fixing  my  eye  upon  something  that  can  be 
used  as  a  support  in  case  I  have  to  swim  for  it.  As  1 
ascended  the  Brian's  cabin  stairs,  the  first  thing  that  I  saw 
was  a  very  snug  washstand  which  was  upon  the  guards 
and  almost  against  the  paddle-box.  As  soon  as  I  could 
pick  myself  up  I  hastened  to  my  washstand,  and  there  I 
remained  until  it  was  discovered  that  we  had  met  with  no 
more  serious  disaster  than  running  full  against  a  "  bluff 
bar."  A  young  man  of  perhaps  twenty  had  previously 
attracted  the  attention  of  all  the  passengers,  from  his 
peculiarly  Daniel  Lambertish  proportions.  At  the  time 
that  we  struck  he  was  in  a  very  sound  sleep,  but  being 
aroused  by  the  subsequent  confusion,  jumped  up  and 
dashed  into  the  cabin  in  a  paroxysm  of  fear.  He  looked 
around  him  one  moment,  and  ran  on  tat  top  speed  upon  the 
boiler  deck,  then  turning  around  upon  the  guards  rushed 
past  me  and  ran  up  the  paddle-box  to  get  upon  the  hurri- 
cane deck.  From  the  latter  a  short  pipe  carried  down  the 
water  into  the  wheel-house.  This  was  painted  white,  and 
seemed  to  the  terrified  sight  of  my  fat  friend  a  sturdy 


416  STEAM   ON   THE   WESTERN   WATERS. 

pillar,  and  just  the  thing  to  help  his  descent.  As  he  seized 
it  his  foot  slipped,  the  pipe  gave  way,  and  down  he  rolled, 
pipe  in  hand,  struck  on  the  guards,  rolled  over  once  more, 
which  last  turn  brought  him  to  the  cabin  stairs,  down  these 
he  plunged,  struck  a  fender  that  happened  to  hang  up  at 
their  foot,  and  landed  directly  underneath  the  boiler. 
The  deck-hands  seized  him  and  drew  him  from  his  warm 
berth,  but  the  moment  he  was  on  his  feet  he  made  an 
attempt  to  jump  overboard.  When  he  was  brought  up 
into  the  cabin  he  presented  a  very  odd  appearance,  covered 
with  dirt,  and  yet  grasping  very  tightly  his  infirm  but  con- 
stant friend,  the  pipe. 

The  other  case  was  that  of  a  man  upon  the  small  steamer 
"  Mechanic."  The  boat  was  making  her  way  slowly  np 
against  a  very  strong  current,  and  when  opposite  Pla- 
quemine  she  struck  a  large  log  that  gave  her  a  pretty 
severe  jar. 

It  was  about  midnight,  and  the  man — a  Texan  recruit — 
had  spread  his  blanket  upon  the  hurricane  deck  near  the 
pilot-house,  and  was  fast  asleep.  The  moment  the  boat 
struck  up  he  jumped,  and  without  stopping  to  ask  any 
questions,  ran  the  full  length  of  the  deck  and  sprang  over- 
board. Being  a  very  good  swimmer  he  was  saved, 
although  such  good  fortune  would  have  befallen  but  few. 
The  old  river  men  have  a  saying,  that  "  the  Mississippi 
never  lets  go  of  a  man  who  has  clothes  on,"  and  it  is  gene- 
rally true. 


THE   END. 


J.  S.  EEDFIELD, 

110  AND  112  NASSAU  STREET,  NEW  YORK, 

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the  Chevalier  de  la  Clos. 

"  A  more  fascinating  book  than  this  rarely  issues  from  the  teeming  press.  Fnscinn- 
tmg  in  its  subject ;  fascinating  in  its  style :  fascinating  in  its  power  to  lead  the  render  into 
castlf-lmi!<Hnz  of  the  most  gorgeous  nnd  bewitching  description." — Courier  fr  Enquirer. 
"This  is  a  most  welcome  book,  full  of  information  nnd  amusement,  in  the  form  of 
memoirs,  comments,  and  anecdotes.  It  hns  the  style  of  light  literature,  with  the  use- 
fulness if  the  gravest  It  should  be  in  every  library,  and  the  hands  of  every  reader." 
Roitnn  Commonwealth. 

"  A  BOOK  OF  ROOKS. — Two  delicion«ly  spicy  volumes,  that  are  a  perfect  bantu 
for  w  epicure  in  reading.4*— Horn*  Journal. 


REDFIELD'S  NEW  AND  POPULAR  PUBLICATIONS. 


PHILOSOPHERS  AND  ACTRESSES. 

By  ARSENE  HOUSSAYE.     With  beautifully-engraved  Portraits  al 

Voltaire  and  Mad.  Parabere.     Two  vols.,  12mo,  price  $2.50. 

"  We  have  here  the  most  charming  book  we  have  read  these  many  days,— so 
powerful  in  its  fascination  that  we  have  been  held  for  hours  from  our  imperious  labors, 
or  needful  slumbers,  by  the  entrancing:  influence  of  its  pages.  One  of  the  most  desira 
ble  fruits  of  the  prolific  field  of  literature  of  the  present  season." — Py'.iand  Eclectic. 

"  Two  brilliant  and  fascinating — we  had  almost  said,  bewitching—  volumes,  combi- 
ning information  and  amusement,  the  lightest  gossip,  with  solid  and  serviceable  wis- 
dom."—  Yankee  Blade. 

"  It  is  a  most  admirable  book,  full  of  originality,  wit,  information  and  philosophy 
Indeed,  the  vividness  of  the  book  is  extraordinary.  The  scenes  and  d«t,cription8  are 
absolutely  life-like."— Southern  Literary  Gazette. 

"  The  works  of  the  present  writer  are  the  only  ones  the  spirit  of  whr.ee  rhetoric  does 
justice  to  those  times,  and  in  fascination  of  description  and  style  equal  the  fascinations 
they  descant  upon." — New  Orleans  Commercial  bulletin. 

"The  author  is  a  brilliant  writer,  and  serves  up  his  sketches  in  a  sparkling  manner." 
Christian  Freeman. 


ANCIENT  EGYPT  UNDER  THE  PHARAOHS. 
By  JOHN  KENDRICK,  M.  A.     In  2  vols.,  12mo,  price  $2.50. 

"No  work  has  heretofore  appeared  suited  to  the  wants  of  the  historical  student, 
which  combined  the  labors  of  artists,  travellers,  interpreters  nnd  critics,  during  the 
periods  from  the  earliest  records  of  the  monarchy  to  its  final  absorption  in  the  empire 
of  Alexander.  This  work  supplies  this  deficiency." — Olive  Branch.. 

"Not  only  the  geography  and  political  history  of  Egypt  under  the  Pharaohs  are 
given,  but  we  are  furnished  with  a  minute  account  of  the  domestic  manners  and  cus- 
toms of  the.  inhabitants,  their  language,  laws,  science,  religion,  agriculture,  navigation 
and  commerce."—  Commercial  Advertiser. 

'•  These  volumes  present  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  results  of  the  combined  labors 
of  travellers,  artists,  and  scientific  explorers,  which  have  effected  so  much  during  the 
present  century  toward  the  development  of  Egyptian  archaeology  and  history." — Jour- 
nal of  Commerce. 

"  The  descriptions  are  very  vivid  and  one  wanders,  delighted  with  the  author,  through 
the  land  of  Eirypt,  gathering  at  every  step,  new  phases  of  her  wondrous  history,  and 
ends  with  a  more  intelligent  knowledge  than  he  ever  before  had,  of  the  land  of  the 
Pharaohs." — American  Spectator. 


COMPA RA  TIVE  PH YSIOGNOMY ; 

Or  Resemblances  between  Men  and  Animals.  By  J.  W.  RKDFIELD, 
M.  D.  In  one  vol.,  8vo,  with  several  hundred  illustrations. 
price,  $2.00. 

'•  Dr.  Redfield  baa  produced  a  very  curious,  amusing,  and  instructive  book,  curious 
in  its  originality  and  illustration?,  amusing  in  the  comparisons  and  analyses,  and  in- 
Btructive  because  it  contains  very  much  useful  information  on  a  too  much  neglected 
subject  It  will  be  eagerly  read  and  quickly  appreciated." — National  Mgis. 

"The  whole  work  exhibits  a  good  deal  of  scientific  research,  intelligent  observation, 
and  ingenuity."—  Daily  Union. 

'•  Highly  entertaining  even  to  those  who  have  little  time  to  study  the  science."— 
Detroit  Daily  Ailmrtifer. 

••  This  i.<  a  remarkahle  volume  and  will  be  read  by  two  classes,  those  who  study  for 
Information,  and  those  who  read  Jor  amusement.  For  its  originality  and  entertaining 
character,  we  commend  it  to  our  readers."— Albany  Express. 

"  It  is  overflowing  with  wit,  humor,  and  originality,  and  profusely  illustrated.  The 
whole  work  i«  distinguished  by  vast  research  and  knowledge." — Knickerbocker. 

"  The  plan  is  a  novel  one ;  the  proofs  striking,  and  must  challenge  the  attention  of  tha 
cnriou*."— Daily  Advertiser 


REDFIELD'S  NEW  ANTD  POPULVR  PUBLICATIONS. 


DISCOVERY  AND  EXPLORATION 

Of  the  Mississippi  Valley.  With  the  Original  Narratives  of  Mar- 
quctte,  Allouez,  Membre,  Hermepin,  and  Anastase  Douay.  By 
JOHN  GILMARY  SHEA.  With  a  fac-simile  of  the  Original  Map 
of  Marquette.  1  vol.,  8vo, ;  Cloth.  Antique.  $2.00. 

"  A  volume  of  great  and  curious  interest  to  all  concerned  to  know  the  early  history 
of  this  great  Western  land." — Cincinnati  Christian  Herald. 

"  We  believe  that  this  is  altogether  the  most  thorough  work  that  has  appeared  on  the 
tubjoct  to  which  it  relates.  It  is  the  result  of  long-continued  and  diligent  research,  and 
no  legitimate  source  of  information  has  been  left  unexplored.  The  work  combines  the 
interest  of  romance  with  the  authenticity  of  history.'1 — Puritan  Recorder. 

"  Mr.  Shea  has  rendered  a  service  to  the  cause  of  historical  literature  worthy  of  all 
praise  by  the  excellent  manner  in  which  he  has  prepared  this  important  publication  for 
the  press." — Boston  Traveller. 


NEWMAN'S  REGAL  ROME. 

An  Introduction  to  Roman  History.  By  FRANCIS  W.  NEWMAN, 
Professor  of  Latin  in  the  University  College,  London.  12mo, 
Cloth.  63  cents. 

"The  book,  though  small  in  compass,  is  evidently  the  work  of  great  research  and 
reflection,  and  is  a  valuable  acquisition  to  historical  literature."—  Courier  and  Enquirer. 

"  A  work  of  great  erudition  and  power,  vividly  reproducing  the  wonderful  era  of  Ro- 
mnn  history  under  the  kings.  We  greet  it  as  a  work  ^  profound  scholarship,  genial 
art,  and  eminent  interest — a  work  that  will  attract  the  scholar  and  please  the  general 
reader." — N.  Y.  Erangelist. 

"  Nearly  all  the  histories  in  the  schools  should  be  banished,  and  such  as  this  should 
take  their  places." — Boston  Journal. 

"  Professor  Newman's  work  will  be  found  full  of  interest,  from  the  light  it  throws  on 
the  formation  of  the  language,  the  races,  and  the  history,  of  ancient  Rome." — Watt- 
ttreet  Journal. 


THE  CHEVALIERS  OF  FRANCE, 

From -the  Crusaders  to  the  Mareschals  of  Louis  XIV.  By  HENRI 
W.  HKRBKRT,  author  of  "The  Cavaliers  of  England,"  "  Crom 
well,"  "  The  Brothers,"  &c.,  Sec.  1  vol.  12mo.  $1.25. 

•'  Mr.  Herbert  is  one  of  the  best  writers  of  historical  tales  »nd  legends  in  this  or  an. 
other  country." — Christian  Freeman. 

"  This  is  a  work  of  great  power  of  thought  and  vividness  of  picturing.  It  is  a  movin| 
panorama  of  the  inner  life  of  the  French  empire  in  the  days  of  chivalry." — Albany  Spec 

"  The  scries  of  works  by  this  author,  illustrative  of  the  romance  of  history,  is  deserv 
edly  popular.  They  serve,  indeed,  to  impart  and  impress  on  the  mind  a  great  deal  ol 
valuable  information  ;  for  the  facts  of  history  are  impartially  exhibited,  and  the  fictiot 
presents  a  vivid  picture  of  the  manners  and  sentiments  of  the  times." — Journal  of  Com 
merce. 

"Thr-  work  contains  four  historical  tales  or  novelettes,  marked  by  that  vigor  of  styta 
and  beauty  of  description  which  have  found  so  many  admirers  among  the  readeri  of 
the  author's  numerous  romanaes."— Lmcell  Journal. 


REDIIELD'S    NEW    AND    POPULAR    PUBLICATIONS. 

NAPOLEON  IN  EXILE  ; 

Or,  a  Voice  from  St.  Helena.  Bcinjr  the  opinions  and  reflections  of 
Napoleon,  on  the  most  important  events  in  his  Life  and  Govern- 
ment, in  his  own  words.  By  BARRY  E.  O'MKARA,  his  late  Sur- 
geon, with  a  Portrait  of  Napoleon,  after  the  celebrated  picture  of 
X>elaroche,  and  a  view  of  St.  Helena,  both  beautifully  engraved 
on  steel.  2  vols.  12mo,  cloth,  $2. 
"  Nothing  can  exceed  the  graphic  truthfulness  with  which  these  volumes  record  the 

vrords  and  habits  of  Napoleon  at  St.  Helena,  and  its  pages  are  endowed  with  a  charm 

far  transcending  that  of  romance." — Albany  State  Register. 

"  Every  one  who  desires  to  obtain  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  character  of  Napoleon, 

should  possess  himself  of  this  book  of  O'Meara's."— Arthur's  Home  Gazette. 

"  It  is  something  indeed  to  know  Napoleon's  opinion  of  the  men  and  events  of  the 

thirty  years  preceding  his  fall,  and  his  comments  throw  more  light  upon  history  than 

anything  we  have  read."— Albany  Express. 
"  The  two  volumes  before  us  are  worthy  supplements  to  any  history  of  France." — 

/   tlon  Evening  Gazette. 


ME AG HERS  SPEECHES. 

Speeches  on  the  Legislative  Independence  of  Ireland,  with  Intro- 
ductory Notes.  By  FRANCIS  THOMAS  MEAGIIER.  1  vol.  12rao, 
Cloth.  Portrait.  $1. 

"  The  volume  before  us  embodies  some  of  the  noblest  specimens  of  Irish  eloquence  ; 
not  florid,  bombastic,  nor  acrimonious,  but  direct,  manly,  and  convincing."— jVew  York 
Tribune. 

"  There  is  a  glowing,  a  burning  eloquence,  in  three  speeches,  which  prove  the  author 
a  man  of  extraordinary  intellect."— Boston  Olive  Branch. 

"  As  a  brilliant  and  effective  orator,  Mongher  stands  unrivalled." — Portland  Eclectic. 

"  All  desiring  to  obtain  a  good  idea  of  the  political  history  of  Ireland  and  the  move- 
ments of  her  people,  will  be  greatly  assisted  by  rending  thess  speeches."— Syracuse 
Daily  Star. 

"  It  is  copiously  illustrated  by  explanatory  notes,  so  that  the  reader  will  have  no  diffi- 
culty in  understanding  the  exact  state  of  affairs  when  each  speech  was  delivered." — 
BosJon  Traveller. 


THE  PRETTY  PLATE, 

A  new  and  beautiful  juvenile.     By  JOHN  VINCENT.     Illustrated  by 
DARLET.    1  vol.  16mo,  Cloth,  gilt,  63  cts.    Extra  gilt  edges,  88  cts. 

"  We  venture  to  say  that  no  reader,  great  or  small,  who  takes  up  this  booh,  will  lay  it 
down  unfinished."  —  Courier  an 


"  This  is  an  elegant  little  volume  for  a  juvenile  gift-book.  The  story  is  one  of  peculiar 
Instruction  and  interest  to  the  young,  and  is  illustrated  with  beautiful  engravings."  — 
Boston  Christian  Freeman. 

"  One  of  the  very  best  told  and  sweetest  juvenile  stories  that  has  been  issued  from  the 
press  this  season,  ft  has  a  most  excellent  moral."—  Detroit  Daily  Advertiser. 

"  A  nice  little  book  for  a  holyday  present.  Our  little  girl  has  read  it  through,  and  pro- 
nounces it  first  rate."—  Hartford  Christian  Secretary. 

"It  is  a  pleasant  child's  book,  well  told,  handsomely  published,  and  illn-tr:.!.  ii  iu 
Darley's  beet  stylo."—  Albany  Express. 


REDFIELD'S  NEW  AND  POPULAR  PUBLICATIONS. 

MACAULATS  SPEECHES. 

Speeches  by  the  Rijrht  Hon.  T.  B.  MACAULAT,  M.  P.,  Author  of 
"  The  History  of  England,"  "  Lays  of  Ancient  Rome,"  &c.,  &c. 
Two  vols.,  12mo,  price  $2.00. 

"  It  is  hard  to  soy  whether  his  poetry,  his  speeches  in  parliament,  or  his  brilliant 
essays,  are  the  most  charming ;  each  has  raised  him  to  very  great  eminence,  and  would 
be  sufficient  to  constitute  the  reputation  of  any  ordinary  man." — Sir  Archibald  Alison. 

•'  It  may  be  siiid  that  Great  Britain  has  produced  no  statesman  since  Burke,  who  has 
united  in  so  eminent  a  degree  BS  Macaulay  the  lofty  and  cultivated  genius,  the  eloquent 
orat(  r,  and  the  sagacious  and  fur-reach  in  a  politician." — Albany  Argiu. 

"  We  do  not  know  of  any  living  English  orator,  whose  eloquence  comes  so  near  the 
ancient  ideal— close,  rapid,  powerful,  practi&l  reasoning,  animated  by  an  intense  earn- 
estness of  feelincr."—  Courier  ff  Enquirer. 

"  Mr.  Macau)a~y  has  lately  acquired  as  great  a  reputation  as  an  orator,  as  he  had  for- 
merly won  as  an  essayist  and  historian.  He  takes  in  his  speeches  the  same  wide  and 
comprehensive  grnsp  of  his  subject  that  he  does  in  his  essays,  and  treats  it  in  the  same 
elegant  style."— Philadelphia  Evening  Bulletin. 

"  The  same  elaborate  finish,  sparkling  antithesis,  full  sweep  and  copious  flow  of 
thought,  and  transparency  of  style,  which  made  his  essays  so  attractive,  are  found  in 
his  speeches.  They  are  so  perspicuous,  so  brilliantly  studded  with  ornament  and  illus- 
tration, and  so  resistless  in  their  current,  Hint  they  appear  at  the  tone  to  be  the  wisest 
and  greatest  of  human  compositions." — New  York  Evangelist. 


TRENCH  ON  PROVERBS. 

On  the  Lessons  in  Proverbs,  by  RICHARD  CHENEVIX  TRENCH,  B.  D., 
Professor  of  Divinity  in  King's  College,  London,  Author  of  the 
"  Study  of  Words."  12mo,  cloth,  50  cents. 

"Another  charming  book  by  the  author  of  the  "  Study  of  Words,"  on  a  subject  which 
is  so  ingeniously  treated,  that  we  wonder  no  one  has  treated  it  before."—  Yankee  Blade. 

"  It  is  a  book  at  once  profoundly  instructive,  and  Rt  the  eame  time,  deprived  of  all 
approach  to  dryness,  by  the  charming  manner  in  which  the  subject  is  treated." — Ar- 
thur's Home  Gazette. 

"  It  is  a  wide  fi.?ld,  and  one  which  the  author  has  well  cultivated,  adding  not  only  to 
his  own  reputation,  but  a  valuable  work  to  our  literature."— Albany  Evening  Transrripl. 

"  The  work  shows  an  acute  perception,  a  genial  appreciation  of  wit,  and  great  re- 
search. It  is  a  very  rare  and  agreeable  production,  which  may  be  read  with  profit  and 
delight." — New  York  Evangelist. 

'  The  stylo  of  the  author  is  terse  and  vigorous — almost  a  model  in  its  kind." — Port- 


THE  LION  SKIN 

And  the  Lover  Hunt ;  by  CHARLES  DE  BERNARD.     12mo,  $1.00. 

"  It  is  not  often  the  novel-reader  can  find  on  his  bookseller's  shelf  a  publication  so  full 
of  incidents  and  good  humor,  and  at  the  same  time  so  provocative  of  honest  thought" 
— National  (\Vorce.nor,  Mass.)  Mgis. 

"  It  is  full  of  incidents  ;  and  the  reader  becomes  so  interested  in  the  principal  person- 
ages in  the  work,  that  he  is  unwilling  to  lay  the  book  down  until  he  has  learned  their 
whole  history." — Boston  Olive  Branch. 

"  It  is  refreshing  to  meet  occasionally  with  a  well-published  story  which  is  written  for 
a  story,  and  for  nothing  else— which  is  not  tipped  with  the  snapper  of  a  moral,  or 
loaded  in  the  handle  with  a  pound  of  philanthropy,  or  an  equal  quantity  of  leaden  phi- 
losophy."— Springfield  Republican. 


REDFIELD  S  NEW  AXD  POPULAR  PUBLICATIONS. 


THE  CHILDREN  OF  LIGHT. 

By  CAROLINE  CHESEBRO',  Author  of  "  Isa,  a  Pilgrimage,"  "  Dream- 
Land  by  Daylight,"  &c.,  &c.     12rno.,  Cloth.     $1.00. 

"  It  is  truly  an  attractive  gallery  of  portraits,  vivid  pictures  of  human  beings  wrought 
by  human  hands.  The  work  is  admirably  conceived,  and  in  every  page  bears  the  clear 
impress  of  Miss  CHESEBRO'S  keen  perceptions,  her  powerful  and  original  intellect,  and 
a  depth  of  sentiment  and  feeling  that  are  only  developed  and  made  useful  by  the  highly 
gifted  and  the  pure  in  heart"— Albany  State  Register. 

"  To  those  of  our  renders  who  desire  a  good  book— one  for  the  most  part  not  filled 
with  the  common  trash  of  the  times,  and  which  is  the  production  of  '  a  perfect  woman 
nobly  planned' — we  would  recommend  th%  '  Children  of  Light'  " — N.  Y.  7Yutk-Teller. 

"  The  work  is  characterized  by  great  boldness  of  thought,  elegant  diction,  and  vigor- 
ous tone." — Greene  County  Whig. 


THE  FOREST. 

By  W.  HUNTIWGTON,  author  of  "  Lady  Alice,"  "  Alban,"  &c.,  &c. 
1  vol.  12mo,  Cloth.     $1.25. 

"  The  author  gives  us  an  exceedingly  vivid  description  of  forest  life,  and  has  worked 
tip  the  incidents  of  his  story  so  hnppily,  that  the  interest  of  the  reader  is  sustained  un- 
flagging to  the  close." — Portland  Eclectic. 

"  The  author  is  a  passionate  lover  of  Nature,  and  is  distinguished  for  the  philosophif 
beauty  and  accuracy  of  his  descriptions.  The  tone  of  thought  pervading  the  book  i* 
quite  elevated  and  healthy."— Cincinnati  Journal  and  Messenger. 

••  For  dramatic  effect  the  plot  and  incidents  are  well  managed,  the  narrative  is  sus- 
tained with  spirit,  and  several  of  the  characters  are  sketched  with  a  vigorous  hand." — 
Protestant  ChurrJiman. 

"  The  work  abounds  in  graphic  portraitures  of  our  glorious  forest  scenery,  and  in 
•harp  delineations  of  character."— .2V.  Y.  Evangelist. 

"  The  style  of  the  work  throughout  is  one  which  can  not  fail  to  claim  the  attention 
of  the  reader,  and  win  for  him  an  unreserved  approval."—  Syracuse  Daily  Journal. 


CAP-SHEAF, 
A  Fresh  Bundle.     By  LEWIS  MYRTLE.    1  vol.  12mo,  cloth.     $1.00. 

'•  If  one  wonts  a  book  to  read  when  he  goes  home  and  sits  down  by  his  fireside  at 
night,  wearied  and  careworn  with  the  toils  and  buffetings  of  life,  this  is  just  the  one  for 
him." — Syracuse  Daily  Journal. 

'•  It  is  a  book  for  a  minute,  an  hour,  or  a  day.  Throughout  its  pages  are  distributed 
chagte  and  tender  thoughts,  glowing  imagery,  and  high  moral  influences." — P/iiladt' 
pkia  City  Item. 

"  There  is  a  rich  vein  of  simplicity,  and  naturalness,  and  true  feelins,  running  through 
this  volume.  The  author  evidently  carries  a  well-practised  pen,  and  speaks  from  a 
gifted  nnd  well-furnished  mind  and  a  full  heart."— Albany  Argits. 

"  In  (act,  it  is  a  delightful  book— hearty  in  tone  and  healthy  in  morality,  and  we  be 
spenk  (or  it  the  favor  which  its  merits  wherever  it  goes  will  be  sure  to  command." — 
Temperance  Courier. 

"  This  is  a  collection  of  light  stories  nnd  graceful  sketches,  which  must  hare  pro- 
ceeded from  a  warm  and  atVcctionate  heart.  The  volume  is  earnestly  commended  to 
the  perusal  of  the  reader."— Lovell  Journal  and  Courier. 


REDFIELD'S  NEW  AND  POPUL  J.R  PUBLICATIONS. 


CLOVERNOOK; 

Or,  Recollections  of  our  Neighborhood  in  the  West.  By  ALICR 
CARRY.  Illustrated  by  DARLEY.  One  vol.,  12rao.,  price  $1.00. 
(Fourth  edition.) 

"  In  this  volume  there  is  a  freshness  which  perpetually  charms  the  reader.  You  seem 
t3  be  made  free  of  western  homes  at  once." — Old  Colony  Memorial. 

"They  bear  the  true  stamp  of  genius— simple,  natural,  truthful — and  evince  a  keen 
eonse  of" the  humor  and  pathos,  of  the  comedy  and  tragedy,  of  life  in  the  country."—  J 
Q  Whittier. 


DREAM-LAND  BY  DAY-LIGHT: 

A  Panorama  of  Romance.     By  CAROLINE  CHESEBHO'.     Illustrated 
by  DARLET.     One  vol.,  12mo.,  price  $1.25.     (Second  edition.) 

"  These  simple  and  beautiful  stories  are  all  highly  endued  with  an  exquisite  percep- 
tion of  natural  beauty,  with  which  is  combined  an  appreciative  sense  of  its  relation  to 
the  highest  moral  emotions."— Albany  State  Register. 

"  Gladly  do  we  greet  this  floweret  in  the  field  of  our  literature,  for  it  is  fragrant  with 
rweet  and  bright  with  hues  that  mark  it  to  be  of  Heaven's  own  planting." — Courier  and 
Enquirer. 

"  There  is  a  depth  of  sentiment  and  feeling  not  ordinarily  met  with,  and  some  of  the 
noblest  faculties  and  affections  of  man's  nature  are  depicted  and  illustrated  by  the  skil- 
ful pen  of  the  authoress." — Churchman. 


LAYS  OF  THE  SCOTTISH  CAVALIERS. 

By  WILLIAM  E.  ATTOUN,  Professor  of  Literature  ond  Belles-Let- 
tres  in  the  University  of  Edinburgh  and  Editor  of  Blackwood'B 
Magazine.  One  vol.,  12mo.  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

"  Since  Lockhart  and  Macaulay's  ballads,  we  have  had  no  metrical  work  to  be  com- 
pared in  spirit,  vicror,  and  rhythm  with  this.  These  ballads  Hnbt  dy  and  embalm  the 
chief  historical  incidents  of  Scottish  history— literally  in  'thoughts  that  breathe  and 
words  that  burn.'  They  are  full  of  lyric  energy,  graphic  description,  and  genuine  feel 
ing." — Home  Journal. 

"  The  fine  ballad  of '  Montrose'  in  this  collection  is  alone  worth  the  price  of  the  book,* 
Boston  Transcript. 


THE  BOOK  OF  BALLADS. 
By  BON  GAULTIER.     One  volume,  12mo.,  cloth,  price  75  cents. 

"Here  is  a  book  for  everybody  who  loves  classic  fun.  It  is  made  up  of  ballads  of 
all  sorts,  each  a  capital  parody  upon  the  style  of  some  one  of  the  best  lyric  writers  of 
the  time,  from  the  thundering  versification  of  Lockhart  and  Macaulay  to  the  sweetest 
•nd  simplest  strains  of  Wordsworth  and  Tennyson.  The  author  is  one  of  the  firs! 
scholars,  nnd  one  of  the  most  finished  writers  of  the  day,  and  this  production  is  but  the 
frolic  of  bis  genius  in  play-time  "— Courier  and  Enquirer. 

"  We  do  not  know  to  whom  belongs  this  nom  de  plume,  but  he  is  certainly  i 
of  no  common  powfr."—  Providence  Journal. 


REDFIELD  S  NEW  AND  POPULAR  PUBLICATIONS. 


POETICAL   WORKS  OF  FITZ-GREENE  HALLECK. 

New  and  only  Complete  Edition,  containing  several  New  Poems, 
together  with  many  now  first  collected.  One  vol.,  12mo.,  price 
one  dollar. 

"  Halleck  is  one  of  the  brightest  stars  in  our  American  literature,  and  his  name  la 
hkc  a  household  word  wherever  the  English  language  is  spoken."— Albany  Express. 

"There  are  few  poems  to  be  found,  in  any  Uiisuase,  that  surpass, 'in  beauty  of 
thought  and  structure,  some  of  these."— Boston  Commonwealth. 

"  To  the  numerous  admirers  of  Mr.  Hslleck,  this  will  be  a  welcome  hook;  for  it  is  a 
characteristic  desire  in  human  nature  to  have  the  productions  of  our  favorite  authors 
in  an  elegant  and  substantial  form."—  Chriftian  Freeman. 

"  Mr.  Halleck  never  appeared  in  a  better  dress,  and  few  poets  ever  deserved  a  better 
one." — Christian  Intelligencer. 


THE  STUDY  OF  WORDS. 
By  Archdeacon  R.  C.  TRENCH.     One  vol.,  12mo.,  price  75  eta. 

•'  He  discourses  in  a  truly  learned  and  lively  manner  upon  the  original  unity  of  Ian 
guage.  and  the  origin,  derivation,  and  history  of  words,  with  their  morality  and  eep 
arale.  spheres  of  meaning. ' — Evening  I— ft 

"  This  is  a  noble  tribute  to  the  divin>  faculty  of  speech.  Popularly  written,  for  use 
as  lectures,  exact  in  its  learninz,  and  roetic  in  its  vision,  it  is  a  book  at  once  for  the 
scholar  nnd  the  general  reader." — Nero  )  ork  Er  an  eel  int. 

"  It  is  one  of  the  most  striking  and  original  publications  of  the  day,  with  nothing  of 
hardness,  dullness,  or  dryness  about  it,  but  altogether  fresh,  lively,  and  entertaining." 
—Boston  Evening  Traveller. 


BRONCHITIS,  AND  KINDRED  DISEASES. 
In  language  adapted  to  common  readers.     By  W.  W.  HALL,  M.  D. 
One  vol.,  12  mo,  price  Si. 00. 

"  It  is  written  in  a  plain,  direct,  common-sense  style,  and  is  free  from  the  quackery 
which  marks  many  of  the  popular  medical  books  of  the  day.  It  will  prove  useful  to 
those  who  need  it ."—  Central  Ch.  Herald. 

"  Those  who  are  clergymen,  or  who  are  preparing  for  the  sacred  calling,  and  public 
•peakers  generally,  should  not  fail  of  securing  this  work."—  Ch.  Ameaswior. 

"  It  is  full  of  hints  on  the  nature  of  the  vital  organs,  and  does  away  with  much  super- 
Ititinug  dread  in  regard  to  consumption." — Greene  County  Whig. 

•'  This  work  gives  some  valuable  instruction  in  regard  to  food  and  hygienic  influ- 
ences."— Nashua  Oasis. 


KNIGHTS  OF  ENGLAND,  FRANCE,  AND  SCOTLAND. 
l3y  HKNRT  WILLIAM  HKRBERT.     One  vol.,  12mo.,  price  $1.25. 

"They  are  partly  the  romance  of  history  nnd  partly  fiction,  forming,  when  blended, 
portraiture?,  valuable  from  the  correct  drawing  of  the  times  they  illustrate,  and  intcrett- 
ing  from  their  romance."— Albany  Knickerbocker. 

"  Tliey  nre  spirit-stirring  productions,  which  will  be  read  and  admired  by  all  who 
•re  pleased  with  historical  talcs  written  in  a  vigorous,  bold,  and  dashing  style." — fioston 
Journal 

"  These  legends  of  love  and  chivalry  contain  gome  of  the  finest  tales  which  the 
graphic  and  powerful  pen  of  Herbert  h»K  yet  given  to  the  lighter  literature  of  the  day." 


REDFIELD'S  NEW  AND  POPULAR  PUBLICATIONS 


LYRA,  AND,  OTHER  POEMS. 
By  ALICE  CARET.     In  one  volume,  12mo,  cloth,  price  75  cts. 

"  Whether  poetry  be  defined  as  the  rhythmical  creation  of  beauty,  aa  passion  or  elo- 
quence in  harmonious  numbers,  or  as  thought  and  feeling  mnnifested  by  processes  of 
the  imagination,  Alice  Carey  is  incontestably  and  incomparably  the  first  living  American 
poeti'ss— fresh, indigenous. national — rich  beyond  precedent  insuitableand sensuous  im- 
agery—of the  finest" and  highest  qualities  of  feeling,  and  such  powers  of  creation  as  the 
Almishty  has  seen  fit  to  bestow  but  rarely  or  in  far-separated  countries." — Bosl.  Trans. 

"  The  genuine  inspiration  of  poetic  feeling, . . .  replete  with  tenderness  and  beauty, 
earnestness  and  truthful  simplicity,  and  all  the  attributes  of  a  powerful  imagination  and 
yivid  fancy.  We  know  of  no  superior  to  Miss  Carey  among  the  female  authors  of  this 
country." — JVew  York  Journal  of  Commerce. 

"  Alice  Carey's  book  is  full  of  beautiful  thoughts ;  there  is  draught  after  draught  of, 
pure  pleasure  for  the  lover  of  sweet,  tender  fancies,  and  imagery  which  captivates 
while  it  enforces  truth."— NOD  York  Courier  and  Inquirer. 

"  -Lyra  and  other  Poems,'  just  published  by  Redtield,  attracts  everywhere,  a  remark- 
able  degree  of  attention.  A  dozen  of  the  leading  journals,  and  many  eminent  critics, 
have  pronounced  the  authoress  the  greatest  poetess  living."— New  York  Mirror, 


LTLLIAN,  AND  OTHER  POEMS. 

By  WINTHROP  MACKWORTH  PRAED.     Now  first  Collected.     One 
Volume  I2mo.      Price  One  Dollar. 

"  A  timely  publication  is  this  volume.  A  more  charming  companion  (in  the  shape  of 
a  book)  can  scarcely  be  found  for  the  summer  holydnys."— Nem  York  Tribune. 

"  They  are  amusing  sketches,  say  and  sprightly  in  their  diameter,  exhibiting  great 
facility  o'f  composition",  and  considerable  powers  of  satire." — Hartford  Courant. 

"  There  is  a  brilliant  piny  of  fnncy  in  '  Lillian,'  and  a  moving  tenderness  in  '  Josephine,' 
for  which  it  would  be  hard  to  find  equals.  We  welcome,  therefore,  this  first  collected 
edition  of  his  work?."— Albany  Express. 

'•  As  a  writer  of  vers  de  sociele  he  is  pronounced  to  be  without  an  equal  among  Eng- 
lish authors." — Syracuse  Daily  Journal. 

"  The  author  of  this  volume  was  one  of  the  most  fluent  and  versatile  Enjlish  poets  that 
have  shone  in  the  literary  world  within  the  last  century.  His  versification  is  astonish- 
In  sly  easy  and  airy,  and  his  imagery  not  less  wonderfully  graceful  and  aerial."— Albany 
Stale  Register. 


THE  CAVALIERS  OF  ENGLAND; 

Or,  the  Times  of  the  Revolutions  of  1642  and  1688.     By  HENRT 
WILLIAM  HERBERT.     One  vol.,  12mo.,  price  $1.25. 

"  They  are  graphic  stories,  and  in  the  highest  degree  attractive  to  the  imagination  as 
well  as  instructive,  and  can  not  fail  to  be  popular." — Commercial. 

"  These  tales  are  written  in  the  popular  author's  best  style,  and  give  us  a  vivid  and 
thrilling  idea  of  the  customs  and  influences  of  the  chivalrous  nse."— -Christian  Freeman. 

"  His  narrative  is  always  full  of  ereat  interest ;  his  descriptive  powers  are  of  an  un 
common  order ;  the  romance  of  history  loses  nothing  at  his  hands ;  he  paints  with  tho 
power,  visor,  and  effect  of  a  master." — The  Times. 

"  They  bring  the  past  dnys  of  old  England  vividly  before  the  reader,  and  impress  upon 
the  mind  with  indelible  force,  the  living  imnses  of  the  puritans  as  well  as  the.  cavaliers, 
whose  earnest  character  and  noble  deeds  lend  such  a  lively  interest  to  the  legends  of 
the  times  in  which  they  lived  and  fought,  loved  and  hated,  prayed  and  revelled."— tf«» 


EEDFIELD  S    NEW    AND    POPULAR    PUBLICATIONS. 


THE  MASTER  BUILDER: 

Or,  Life  in  the  City.      By  DAY  KELLOGG  LEE,  author  of  "  Sum- 
merfield,  or  Life  on  the  Farm."     One  vol.,  12mo,  price  $1.00. 

"  He  is  a  powerful  and  graphic  writer,  and  from  what  we  have  seen  of  the  pages  ol 
the  '  Master  Builder,'  it  is  a  romance  of  excellent  aim  and  success." — State  Rcgifter. 

"  Tho  '  Master  Builder'  is  the  master  production.  It  is  romance  into  which  is  instilled 
the  reality  of  life :  and  incentives  are  put  forth  to  noble  exertion  and  virtue.  The  story 
is  pleasing — almost  fascinating  ;  the  moral  is  pure  and  undefiled." — Daily  Timtf. 

"Its  descriptions  are,  many  of  them,  strikingly  beautiful ;  commingling  in  good  pro- 
portions, the  witty,  the  grotesque,  the  pathetic,  and  the  heroic.  It  may  be  read  with 
profit  as  well  as  pleasure." — Argus. 

"The  work  before  us  will  commend  itself  to  the  mosses,  depicting  as  it  does  most 
praphically  the  struggles  and  privations  which  nwait  the  unknown  and  uncared-for 
Mechanic  in  his  journey  through  life.  It  is  what  might  be  called  a  romance,  but  not  of 
love,  jealousy  and  revenge  order." — Lockport  Courier. 

"  The  whole  scheme  of  the  story  is  well  worked  up  and  very  instructive.'* — Albany 
Express. 


GRISCOM  ON  VENTILATION. 

The  Uses  and  Abuses  of  Air:  showing  its  Influence  in  Sustaining 
Life,  and  Producing  Disease,  with  Remarks  on  the  Ventilation 
of  Houses,  and  the  best  Methods  of  Securing  a  Pure  and  Whole- 
some Atmosphere  inside  of  Dwellings,  Churches,  Workshops,  &c. 
By  JOHN  H.  GRISCOM,  M.  D.  One  vol.  12mo,  $1.00. 

•'This  comprehensive  treatise  should  be  read  by  all  who  wish  to  secure  health, 
and  especially  by  those  constructing  churches,  lecture-rooms,  school-houses,  &c.— It 
is  undoubted,  that  many  diseases  are  created  and  spread  in  consequence  of  the  little 
attention  paid  to  proper  ventilation.  Dr  O.  writes  knowingly  and  plainly  upon  this  all- 
important  topic." — Newark  Advertiser. 

"  The  whole  book  is  a  complete  manual  of  the  subject  of  which  it  treats ;  and  we 
venture  to  say  that  the  builder  or  contriver  of  a  dwellins,  school-house,  church,  thea- 
tre, ship,  or  steamboat,  who  neglects  to  inform  himself  of  the  momentous  truths  it 
asserts,  commits  virtually  a  crime  against  society." — If.  Y.  Metropolis. 

"  When  shall  we  learn  to  estimate  at  their  proper  value,  pure  water  and  pure  air, 
which  God  provided  for  man  before  he  made  man,  and  a  very  long  time  before  he 
permitted  the  existence  of  a  doctor  ?  We  commend  the  Uses  and  Abuses  of  Air  to  our 
readers,  assuring  them  that  they  will  find  it  to  contain  directions  for  the  ventilation  of 
dwellings,  which  every  one  who  values  health  and  comfort  should  put  in  practice."— 
If.  Y.  Dispatch. 


HAGAR,  A  STORY  OF  TO-DAY. 

By  ALICE  CARET,  author  of  "  Clovernook,"  «« Lyra,  and  Other 
Poems,"  &c.     One  vol.,  12mo,  price  $1.00. 

"A  story  of  rural  and  domestic  life,  abounding  in  humor,  pathos,  and  that  natural- 
ness in  character  and  conduct  which  made  '  Clovernook'  so  great  a  favorite  last  season. 
Pascals  in  '  Hagar'  are  written  with  extraordinary  power,  its  moral  is  striking  and 
fust,  and  the  book  will  inevitably  be  one  of  the  most  popular  productions  of  the  sea- 
son." 

"  She  has  a  fine,  rich,  and  purely  original  genius.  Her  country  stories  are  almost 
onequaled."_A-»icJ«TAodter  Mnfaiine 

"The  Times  speaks  of  Alice  Carey  ns  standing  at  the  head  of  the  living  femnle  wri- 
ters of  America  We  go  even  farther  in  our  favorable  judgment,  and  express  the  opin- 
ion that  among  those  living  or  dead,  she  has  had  no  equal  in  this  country  ;  and  we  know 
of  few  in  the  annals  of  English  literature  who  have  exhibited  superior  gilts  of  real  po 
etic  geniui."-?-*'  (Portland,  Me.)  Eclectic. 


REDFIELD'S  NEW  AND  POPULAR  PUBLICATIONS. 


ISA,  A  PILGRIMAGE. 
By  CAROLINE  CHESEBRO'.     One  vol.,  12mo.,  cloth,  price  $1.00. 

"  The  Pilgrimage  is  fraught  throushout  with  scenes  of  thrilling  interest — romantic, 
yet  possessing  a  naturalness  that  seems  to  stamp  them  as  real ;  the  style  is  flowing  and 
easy,  chaste  and  beautiful."— Troy  Daily  Times. 

'•  MiBS  Chesebro'  is  evidently  a  thinker— she  skims  not  the  mere  surface  of  life,  but 
plunges  boldly  into  the  hidden  mysteries  of  the  spirit,  by  which  she  is  warranted  in 
making  her  startling  revelations  ot  human  passion."—  Christian  Freeman. 

"There  comos  out  in  this  book  the  evidence  of  an  inventive  mind,  a  cultivated  taste, 
»n  exquisite  sensibility,  and  a  deep  knowledge  of  human  nature."— Albany  Argus. 

"  It  is  a  charming  book,  pervaded  by  a  vein  of  pure  ennobling  thought." — Troy  Whig. 

"  There  is  no  one  who  will  doubt  that  this  is  a  courageous  and  able  work,  displaying 
fenius  and  depth  of  feeling,  and  striking  at  a  high  and  noble  aim." — N.  Y.  Evangtlist. 

''  There  is  a  fine  vein  of  tenderness  running  through  the  story,  which  is  peculiarly 
one  of  passion  and  sentiment." — Arthur's  Home  Gazette, 


LECTURES  AND  MISCELLANIES. 
BY  HENRY  JAMES.     One  vol.,  12mo.,  cloth,   price  $1.25. 

"  A  series  of  essays  by  one  of  the  most  generous  thinkers  and  sincere  lovers  of  truth 
in  the  country.  He  looks  at  society  from  nn  independent  point  of  view,  and  with  the 
noblest  and  most  intelligent  sympathy." — Home  Journal. 

"This  is  the  production  of  a  mind  richly  --ndowed  of  a  very  peculiar  mould.  All 
will  concede  to  him  the  merit  of  a  vigorous  and  brilliant  intellect."— Albany  Argus. 

"  A  perusal  of  the  essays  leads  us  to  thnk,  not  merely  because  of  the  idf  as  which 
they  contain,  but  more  because  the  ideas  are  earnestly  put  lorth,  and  the  subjects  dis- 
cussed are  interesting  and  important  to  every  one." — Worcester  National  jEgis. 

"  They  have  attracted  much  attention  both  here  and  in  Europe,  where  the  author  ia 
considered  as  holding  a  distinctive  and  prominent  position  in  the  schooVof  modern 
philosophy."— Albany  Atlas. 

"  The  writer  wields  a  masterly  and  accurate  pen,  and  his  style  is  good." — Boston 
Olive  Branch. 

"  It  will  have  many  readers,  and  almost  as  many  admirers." — N.  Y.  Times. 


NAPIERS  PENINSULAR   WAR. 

History  of  the  War  in  the  Peninsula,  and  in  the  South  of  France, 
from  the  Year  1807  to  1814.  BY  W.  F.  P.  NAPIER,  C.  B.,  Col. 
43d  Reg.,  &c.  Complete  in  one  vol.,  8vo.,  price  $3.00. 

"We  believe  the  Literature  of  War  has  not  received  a  more  valuable  augmentation 
ihls  century  than  Col.  Napier's  justly  celebrated  work.  Thoueh  a  gallant  combatant  in 
tie  field,  he  is  an  impartial  historian."—  Tribune. 

"  NAPIER'S  History,  in  addition  to  its  superior  literary  merits  and  truthful  fidelity, 
presents  ttrons  claims  upon  the  attention  of  ail  American  citizens ;  because  the  author 
is  a  large.soul.'d  philanthropist,  and  nn  inflexible  enemy  to  ecclesiastical  tyranny  and 
secular  de-pot*."— Pott. 

"  The  excellency  of  Napier's  Hi-tory  re?iilts  from  the  writer's  happy  talent  for  im- 
petuous, straiaht-forward,  soul-stirrim;  ntirrntivo  and  picturing  forth  of  character! 
The  military  manoeuvre,  inarch,  and  fiery  onset,  the  whole  whirlwind  vicissitudes  o* 
the  desperate  fight,  he  describes  with  dramatic  force."—  Merchants'  Magazine. 


REDFIELD'S  NEW  AND  POPULAR  PUBLICATIONS, 


CHARACTERS  IN  THE  GOSPEL, 

Illustrating  Phases  of  Character  at  the  Present  Day.     By  Rev.  E. 
H.  CHAPIN.     One  vol.,  12mo.,  price  50  cents.     (Second  edition.) 

"As  we  read  his  pages,  the  reformer,  the  sensualist,  the  skeptic,  the  man  of  the 
world,  the  seeker,  the  sister  of  charity  and  of  faith,  stand  out  from  the  Scriptures,  and 
Join  themselves  with  our  own  living  world." — Christian  Enquirer. 

"  Mr.  Chapin  has  an  easy,  graceful  style,  neatly  touching  the  outlines  of  his  pictures, 
and  giving  great  consistency  and  beauty  to  the  whole.  The  reader  will  find  admirable 
descriptions,  some  most  wholesome  lessons,  and  a  fine  spirit." — N.  Y.  Evangelist. 

"  Its  brilliant  vivacity  of  style  forms  an  admirable  combination  with  its  soundness  of 
thought  and  depth  of  feeling."—  Tribune. 


LADIES  OF  THE  COVENANT: 

Memoirs  of  Distinguished  Scottish  Females,  embracing  the  Period 
of  the  Covenant  and  the  Persecution.  By  Rev.  JAMES  ANDER- 
SON. One  vol.,  12mo.,  price  $1.25. 

"  It  is  a  record  which,  while  it  confers  honor  on  thft  sex,  will  elevate  the  heart,  and 
•irengthen  it  to  the  better  performance  of  every  duty."—  Religions  Herald,  (Va.) 

"  It  is  a  book  of  great  attractiveness,  having  not  only  the  freshness  of  novelty,  but 
every  element  of  historical  interest" — Courier  and  Enquirer. 

"  It  is  written  with  great  spirit  and  a  hearty  sympathy,  and  abounds  in  incidents  of 
more  than  a  romnntic  interest,  while  the  type  ol  piety  it  discloses  is  the  noblest  and 
most  elevated."— N.  Y.  Evangelist. 


TALES  AND  TRADITIONS  OF  HUNGARY. 
By  THERESA  PULSZKT,  with  a  Portrait  of  the  Author.     One  vol., 
price  $1.25. 

THE  above  contains,  in  addition  to  the  English  publication,  a  NEW  PREFACE,  and 
TALES,  now  first  printed  from  the  manuscript  of  the  Author,  who  has  a  direct  interest 
in  the  publication. 

"  This  work  claims  more  attention  than  is  ordinarily  given  to  books  of  its  class.  Snch 
is  the  fluency  and  correctness — nny,  even  the  nicety  and  felicity  qf  style— with  which 
Madame  Pulszky  writes  the  English  language,  that  merely  in  this  respect  the  tales  here 
collected  form  a  curious  study.  But  they  contain  also  highly  suggestive  illustrations  ol 
national  literature  and  character." — London  Examiner. 

"Freshness  of  subject  is  invaluable  in  literature — Hungary  is  still  fresh  ground.  It 
has  been  trodden,  but  it  is  not  yet  a  common  highway.  The  tales  and  legends  are  very 
various,  from  the  mere  traditional  anecdote  to  the  regular  legend,  and  they  have  the 
•ort  of  interest  which  all  national  traditions  excite." — London  Leader. 


SORCERY  AND  MAGIC. 

Narratives  of  Sorcery  and  Magic,  from  the  most  Authentic  Sources. 
By  THOMAS  WRIGHT,  A.M.,  &c.     One  vol.  12mo.,  price  $1.25. 

"  We  have  no  hesitation  in  pronouncing  this  one  of  the  most  interesting  works  which 
has  for  a  lone  time  is-wil  from  the  press." — Albany  Express. 

"  The  narratives  are  intensely  interesting,  and  the  more  so,  as  they  are  evidently  writ- 
ten by  a  man  whose  object  is  simply  to  tell  the  truth,  and  who  is  not  himself  bewitched 
»rr  «n»  ftrcrit^  th^nrv  "  ff  Y.  Recorder 


REDFIELD'S  NEW  AND  POPULAR  PUBLICATIONS. 


THE  NIGHT-SIDE  ON  NATURE; 

Or,  Ghosts  and  Ghost-Seers.     By  CATHARINE  CROWE.    One  vo6, 

12mo.,  price  $1.25. 

"In  this  remarkable  work,  Miss  Crowe,  who  writes  with  the  vigor  ard  grace  of* 
woman  of  strong  sense  and  high  cultivation,  collects  the  most  remarkable  and  best  au- 
thenticated accounts,  traditional  and  recorded,  of  preternatural  visitations  and  appear- 
ances."— Boston  Trantcript. 

"  An  almost  unlimited  fund  of  interesting  illustrations  and  anecdotes  touching  the 
•piritual  world."— Next  Orleans  Bee. 


THE  WORKS  OF  EDGAR  ALLAN  FOE; 

Complete  in  Three  Volumes,  with  a  Portrait,  a  Memoir  by  James 
Russell  Lowell,  and  an  Introductory  Essay  by  N.  P.  Willis;  edit- 
ed by  Rufus  W.  Griswold.  12mo.,  price  $4.00. 

'  We  need  not  say  that  these  volumes  will  be  found  rich  in  intellectual  excitements, 
and  abounding  in  remarkable  specimens'  of  vigorous,  beautiful,  and  highly  suggestive 
composition ;  they  are  all  that  remain  to  us  of  a  man  whose  uncommon  genius  it  would 
be  folly  to  deny."— ,V.  Y.  Tribune. 

"  Mr.  Poe's  intellectual  character — his  genius — is  stamped  upon  all  his  productions, 
and  we  shall  place  these  his  works  in  the  library  among  those  books  not  to  be  parted 
with." — N.  Y.  Commercial  Advertiser. 

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tation begins  with  a  '  fit  audience  though  few,'  the  circle  will  be  constantly  widening, 
and  they  will  retain  a  prominent  place  in  our  literature." — Ree.  Dr.  Kip. 


CHAPMAN'S  AMERICAN  DRAWING-BOOK. 

The  American  Drawing-Book,  intended  for  Schools,  Academies,  and 
Self-Instruction.  By  JOHN  G.  CHAPMAN,  N.  A.  Three  Parts 
now  published,  price  50  cents  each. 

THIS  Work  will  be  issued  in  Parts ;  and  will  contain  Primary  Instruction  and  Rudl- 
menu  of  Drawing:  Drawing  from  Nature  —  Materials  and  Methods:  Perspective  — 
Composition  —  Landscape  —  Figures,  etc.  :  Drawing,  as  applicable  to  the  Mechanic  Arts : 
Painting  in  Oil  and  Water  Colors :  The  Principles  of  Light  and  Shade :  External  Anato- 
my of  the  Human  Form,  and  Comparative  Anatomy  :  The  Various  Methods  of  Etching, 
Engraving,  Modelling,  &c. 

"  It  has  received  the  sanction  of  many  of  our  most  eminent  artists,  and  can  scarcely 
be  commended  too  highly."— JV.  Y.  Tribune. 

•'  But  so  clearly  are  its  principles  developed  in  the  beautiful  letter-press,  and  so  exquis- 
itely are  they  illustrated  by  the  engravings,  that  the  pupil's  way  is  opened  most  invi- 
tingly to  a  thorough  knowledge  of  both  the  elements  and  application."— Home  Journal. 

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with  it  in  artistic  and  mechanical  execution."  -Knickerbocker  Magazint. 


CONTEMPORARY  BIOGRAPHY. 


OR  SKETCHES  OF  LIVING  NOTABLES, 

AUTHORS  ENGINEERS  PHILANTHROPISTS 

ARCHITECTS         JOURNALISTS  PREACHERS       • 

ARTISTS  .      MINISTERS  SAVANS 

COMPOSERS  MONARCHS  STATESMEN 

DEMAGOGUES       NOVELISTS  TRAVELLERS 

DIVINES  POLITICIANS  VOYAGERS 

DRAMATISTS          POETS  WARRIORS 

fn  One  Vol.,  12mo,  containing  nearly  Nine  Hundred  Biograph- 
ical Sketches  —  PRICE  $1.50. 

"I  am  glad  to  learn  that  you  are  publishing  this  work.  It  is  precisely  that  kind  of 
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to  the  distinguished  men  of  Europe,  but  which  I  have  found  it  extremely  difficult  t« 
obtain."—  Extract  from  a.  Letter  of  the  President  of  the  United  States  to  the  publisher. 

'•  In  its  practical  usefulness  this  work  will  supply  a  most  important  desideratum."— 
Courier  fy  Enquirer. 

"  It  forms  a  valuable  manual  for  reference,  especially  in  the  American  department, 
which  we  can  not  well  do  without  ;  we  commend  it  to  the  attention  of  our  '  reading 
public.^  "—  Tribune. 

"Just  the  book  wo  have  desired  a  hundred  times,  brief,  statistical  and  biographical 
sketches  of  men  "now  living,  in  Europe  and  America."  —  New  York  Observer. 

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as  indispensable  as  a  map  or  a  dictionary  —  and  from  which  the  best-informed  will  de- 
rive instruction  and  pleasure."—  Evangelist. 

"  This  book  therefore  fills  a  place  in  literature  ;  and  once  published,  we  do  not  SCO 
how  any  one  could  do  without  it."  —  Albany  Express. 

"  It  id  evidently  compiled  with  great  care  and  labor,  and  every  possible  means  seems 
to  have  been  used  to  secure  the  highest  degree  of  correctness.  It  contains  a  great  deal 
of  valuable  information,  and  is  admirable  as  a  book  of  reference."  —  Albany  Argus. 

"It  is,  to  our  notion,  the  most  valuable  collection  of  contemporary  biographies  yet 
made  in  this  or  any  other  country.  The  author  acknowledges  that  its  compilation  was 
a  •  labor  of  care  and  responsibility.'  We  believe  him,  and  we  give  him  credit  for  hay 
ing  executed  that  labor  after  a  fashion  that  will  command  general  and  lasting  approv- 
al."— Sunday  Times,  and  Noah's  Weekly  Messenger. 

"  This  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  works  lately  issued—  valuable  not  only  for  general 
reading  and  study,  but  as  a  book  of  reference.  It  is  certainly  the  fullest  collection  of 
contemporary  Biographies  yet  made  in  this  country."—  Troy  Daily  Times. 

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ularity." —  Detroit  Daily  Advertiser. 

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plement and  appendix  to  the  modern  histories,  to  the  reviews,  to  the  daily  newspapers 
-a  book  which  a  man  anxious  to  be  regarded  as  intelligent  and  well-informed,  can  no 
more  do  without  than  a  churchman  can  do  without  his  prayer  book,  n  sailor  his  navi- 
gator, or  a  Wall  street  man  his  almanac  and  interest  tables."  —  Nevr  York  Day  Book. 

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oourre  of  information  to  readers  at  large."  —  N.  Y.  Reveille. 

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panion in  the  library,  office,  and  studio."  —  Northern  Budget. 

"  It  is  a  living  breathin?  epitome  of  the  day,  a  directory  to  that  wide  phantasmagoria 
We  call  the  world."—  Wall  Street  Journal. 

"  We  know  of  no  more  valuable  book  to  authors,  editors,  stall-men,  and  all  who 
would  be  '  up  with  the  time,'  than  this."  —  Spirit  of  the  Times. 

"  Men  of  all  nations,  creeds  and  parties,  appear  to  be  treated  in  a  kindly  spirit.  The 
work  will  be  found  a  useful  supplement  to  the  ordinary  biographical  dictionaries."  — 
Commercial  Advertiser. 

"  The  value  of  such  a  work  can  scarcely  be  over-estimated.  To  the  statesman  and 
philanthropist,  as  well  as  the  scholar  and  business  man,  it  will  be  found  of  great  con- 
Teniencc  as  a  reference  book,  and  must  soon  be  considered  as  indispensable  to  a  library 
a*  Webster's  Dictionary."—  Lockport  Courier. 


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